Gratuitous Title Here, Please
by Kwahzutah
Summary: Then the smell hit her. All alphas, every one of them. A stifling cacophony of masculine scents rushed into her lungs, making her knees buckle before she steadied herself. The silver haired man smirked as if he knew what she was thinking. "Yeah, we're fucking hot." He said smugly. "Even betas love the smell."
1. Chapter 1

Sakura leaned against a tree as she surveyed the field before her, its grasses swaying in a spring breeze. Counting her own slow breaths, she focused her chakra - along her throat, wrists, anywhere that could produce a scent. She had been doing this same exercise ever since hitting puberty. With a careful siphoning of chakra at all times, a person could cut off production of the smell that told the world who and what they were.

To a beta, it was no big deal. Their instincts weren't particularly difficult to cope with and smell only indicated who they were - Sakura thought of Shizune, whose scent was like fresh oranges and cinnamon. And alphas loved when others could smell them, often going out of their way to force their scent glands to overproduce(Gai-sensei was a common offender of this without even realizing it.)

But to someone like Sakura, to an omega, your scent could land you in all sorts of situations - which was why she'd hidden it. They were nearly impossible to find, being one to every hundred people, and most would have dropped out of ninja academy the moment they'd found out - why continue on a difficult path when any alpha would be thrilled to coddle and care for you?

She could never have lived like that, owing herself to another person. It simply wasn't in Sakura to roll over and offer her neck to be bitten, her body to be used. Only the death of all current alphas would free the omega, who could easily be taken by another right after. Not a life for her, to be sure.

The Hokage's apprentice smirked. After muffling her scent for years, chakra control had come easily to her - how could it not, when her independence depended on it? Until becoming Tsunade's student, she had been worried that someone might realize how she had learned it, but had long since understood that no one in their right mind would suspect Sakura Haruno of being something so docile as an omega.

It was a beautiful day and the clearing ahead of her made her want to roll around in the grass(some instincts were harder to ignore than others). Intending to do just that, Sakura dropped to the ground and tugged off her boots. Leaving her bag and headband with them, she stepped out and wiggled her toes against the grass, closing her eyes for a moment to feel the sun on her face. After the long winter it was heavenly.

She walked ahead with a faint smile on her face, letting the wind blow pale pink strands of hair into her eyes.

"What a gorgeous afternoon." She murmured to herself.

She startled when a voice yelled from her left. "Oi, pinkie!"

Her brow twitched at the nickname and she turned towards the offender to give them a thorough cursing.

Except the man walking out of the trees was wearing a black cloak with red clouds on it. Sakura was on instant alert, but the silver haired alpha watching her expectantly didn't seem to think anything of it. Come to think of it… She wasn't wearing her hitai-ate, so he wouldn't realize who she was - and they were about half a day's travel from Konoha, too far for her(yet too close for him, as far as she was concerned).

"You hear me?" He said, crossing his arms.

"How could I not?" She growled, hands on her hips. She wanted to attack, so badly, but she was no match alone. Logically, if she could get away without fighting and alert the village, she should.

"Aight," He continued, talking over her. "So I can't fucking figure out where I am and I swear to Jashin-sama that I've been in this same damn field like eighty fucking times in the last hour. Can you tell me where the fucking road is?"

As she opened her mouth to answer, he cut her off. "And your hair's fucking pink."

Rude. Not only a horrific criminal, but he was rude too.

"Really?" She asked, feigning surprise. "I had no idea. I thought it was _blond_ you dipshit!"

She glared at him. He glared back.

"Be that way, motherfucker! How often do you expect me to see someone walking around with fucking pink hair, huh? Fucking one in a million!"

He paused and looked a bit closer at her, eyes narrowed. "Hold on, have we met before?"

"You would remember someone with pink hair, wouldn't you?" She sniped, covering up the way her heart dropped into her stomach.

Sakura stared with wide eyes as his roved over her.

"Well, the asshole said that the Konoha bitch had pink fucking hair." He said, still squinting. "But she apparently punched through a goddamn mountain. You don't look like you could crack a fucking egg."

 **That jackass!** Her inner self screamed in rage. **Does that alpha bastard want us to crack his SKULL like a goddamn egg? Huh?! Kick his ASS!**

Unable to stop herself, Sakura growled and yelled, "You utter jerk!I'll show you a fucking egg!"

And she tightened her fist, glove creaking around her curled fingers, and shoved it into the ground. It split apart and sent the rude man flying backwards and onto his ass. When his face popped back up he appeared both impressed and infuriated in equal measure.

"You bitch!" He spat. "I swear to Jashin I'm gonna kick your ass twelve different ways to Friday!"

Inwardly, Sakura groaned. There went all of her well-meaning attempts to avoid conflict. Inner Sakura - who too often voiced the omega part of her brain - crowed with victory.

 **Let's kick HIS ass girl! And then FUCK him twelve different ways to Friday!**

Sakura neglected to voice her scandalized reaction to her own brain. Instead she shifted her weight, feet splayed evenly on the grass as she gathered chakra into her fists. She could smell the alpha's rage from where she was standing and she gave him the meanest look she could muster.

"Maybe I'll kick your ass instead?" She said.

When the man lurched at her, scythe swinging for her, Sakura ducked to avoid it. The metal went whizzing over her head, nearly taking a chunk of hair with it. Realizing he was also a close-range fighter, she continuously pummeled the ground to keep him at a distance. That way if he came too close he would lose his footing.

After a while of this, she realized her mistake - his stamina was incredible. She could only maintain this for a bit longer, but it seemed he could go all day and - from the manic grin on his face - he meant to.

Sending a burst of chakra to her feet for speed, she dashed directly at him. He was caught off guard by the sudden frontal attack and her fist landed in a direct hit on his chest, sending him to the ground.

Sakura panted for air, backing away from him. She had put everything she had into that punch, which should have shattered his collarbone and likely broken some ribs. A good thing too, since there wasn't much left in her. A hand wiped sweat from her brow, pink lips tightening as she observed his body.

His scent hadn't weakened at all.

It was a clear indicator of health and - although he should be dead - he smelled like a man in total and perfect health.

"What the-?" She gasped.

The man's body was twitching and rising like something out of a zombie film, face stuck in that same horrific grin. Sakura stepped back as he came forwards, stretching with indescribable popping and grinding sounds.

He whistled. "That's some fucking punch, pinkie!"

What could she do? She couldn't keep this up - and this bastard seemed to have some kind of bizarre regenerative power. Run? Yes, running would probably be best at this point.

"Thinking 'bout running?" The alpha said. "I fucking would. But I'm not alone, and you're out of chakra. We'd fucking catch you."

Shit.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw movement as three more black cloaks zipped out of the trees. One of the men had a head covering that prevented observation, while a second had… blue skin? And the third looked uncomfortably similar to Sasuke. ' _Uchiha Itachi… Shit._ '

Then the smell hit her. All alphas, every one of them. A stifling cacophony of masculine scents rushed into her lungs, making her knees buckle before she steadied herself. The silver haired man smirked as if he knew what she was thinking.

"Yeah, we're fucking hot." He said smugly. "Even betas love the smell."

"As if." She said, immediately attempting to steady her breathing and block it out.

"Well, it's a fucking shame, but you attacked Sasori. There's nothing for it but goddamn revenge, bitch."

Sakura frowned furiously and continued backing away, trying to keep her eye on all four of the alphas closing in. She had a few meters between them, but it was not nearly enough. She was barely in time to dodge another attack from the silver haired man, and tried to maintain her distance from them.

Hindsight, it was the attack from the shark-man that had her fucked.

The wrappings had slid from his oversized sword and he hefted the thing with ridiculous strength - she had to shush her Inner Self at that - and rushed at her in tandem with Hidan. When she managed to sidestep his sword, she could've heaved a sigh of relief as she managed to put a few more meters between them.

She stared suspiciously for a moment as the blue man did the same with a waiting expression. All the air whooshed out of her lungs as her knees legs buckled and she felt her chakra slipping away. One of her hands clutched at the red fabric covering her chest, her gasping.

"The Samehada drains chakra," Blue-man rasped, "and it looks like your time is up."

"No hard feelings, huh, pinkie? It's just business."

What to do, what to do? Fear coiled inside her gut like one of Orochimaru's snakes, tightening its chokehold around her frantic heart. She was going to die. She couldn't believe it - never had the life of a shinobi seemed quite as fleeting as it did now. And she was totally drained of chakra.

 **No you're not!** Inner yelled. **Stop covering your scent! Redirect those reserves, make a few clones, and get the hell out!**

 _'But they'll know!'_ She argued with herself, chest clenching.

 **Either you take a chance to live and let them know, or you DEFINITELY die. Live girl, live!**

That was true… As blue-man closed in with that vampiric sword of his, Sakura ignored every habitually-forged instinct that told her otherwise and felt a burst of chakra flooding her veins. At the same moment, her scent glands swelled to life for the first time since her maturity, allowing her sweet scent to meet the open breeze.

The hesitation from the members of Akatsuki was instant, but it wouldn't last long - at this point, she was fighting for her life in a totally different way. A groan slid free of the silver haired man as he inhaled with all his might, and Sakura's hand darted through seals. When her three clones appeared they all took off in opposite directions, and she lunged for the forest with all her might. She was fully aware that these were her absolute final reserves and she had to make them count.

As she jumped through the trees she realized that only the blue-man had followed her. The other must've gone after the clones - not taking any chances on letting her get away. Her foot left a tree limb just as that blasted sword skewered it and it was apparently just close enough to drain her because only a second later she slipped and her chest crashed against a tree limb.

Sakura scrambled against it to pull herself up. Her back pressed against the trunk as she wheezed. Her creamy limbs acquired a slight tremble from sheer exhaustion and she pressed a hand over her mouth and stared at the man watching her from a nearby tree. She could smell herself, fear and adrenaline - she couldn't imagine what it was like for an alpha to be near.

But he was just looking at her, dark eyes glancing from place to place on her body.

"Well?" She choked out, pushing against the tree as though it might allow her to disappear into it.

He was startled from his observation of the pulse on her neck, and obviously holding himself back with great effort. He shrugged. "I'm surprised. Omega, huh?"

 **They may be the worst kind of S-Rank criminals, but at least you got the best of the worst!** Inner crowed inappropriately. **Better than some weakling! Or someone ugly!**

That was little consolation to the shaking Sakura as three more pairs of feet thudded onto the trees. The silver haired alpha was nearly salivating, rudely sniffing every chance he got - at least the others were more subtle in their scenting.

The wait killed her. The world narrowed down to tunnel vision, her pulse beating a heavy drumbeat in her ears as they watched her. Her fight-or-flight response was urging her to move, but she had no strength for that. Yet she couldn't stand the mixed messages her instincts were screaming at her. Submit? Run? Kick their asses?

"This changes things." Itachi said in his smooth voice.

"C'mon, I'm sure Sasori would understand! We can't fucking pass this up!"

"I must agree with Hidan, for once," The alpha with the head-covering said in an impossibly deep voice, "An opportunity like this happens once in a lifetime. Would any of you rather add a beta instead of her?"

There was immediate refusal from the other men.

"No fucking way." Sakura grit out, "I'm not going anywhere with you."

She glanced down at the forest floor. It had to be far enough to kill her. With a heave she let her body drop and clenched her eyes shut, fervently hoping this would work - better to die than to play omega to the Akatsuki.

A hard body interrupted her fall, arms propping her up. She protested, "No!"

It was Itachi holding her, and his eyes were riveted to her neck. There was only one thing on his mind and Sakura struggled with all the feeble might left to her, heart nearly bursting out of her chest. No, no, no! No way!

But nothing could stand up to him as the alpha's warm hand gripped hers too tightly to break, nose gently nudging her chin upwards. Breaths fanned over her neck, drawing goosebumps forth as soft lips pressed against her pulse. He was drawing it out, the jackass, and she would-

Itachi's teeth sank into Sakura's long white neck and she cried out, body jerking. They were working into her flesh, so far and piercing that nothing could break them free and then she could feel the foreign liquid in her, that awful hormone that chained omegas to their alphas. It sent warmth into her body and softened it, pink hair splayed over his black cloak as her head lolled to the side. It felt so very wrong for her body to relax around an unfamiliar, dangerous male but she had no control over her lax muscles. Her brain felt dizzy and numb, vision blackening as his mouth worked to soothe the mark with a hot tongue.

She was barely sentient but vaguely noted the feeling of being passed to an even larger body, and the feeling intensifying as yet another set of teeth pierced her wrist, then another in the soft flesh on the inside of her elbow.

"You've got to be kidding." She heard in the blackness of her fuzzy vision, face pressed to someone's stomach - alpha scent was around her so thick, tingling over her senses. Large hands were rolling up her shorts and a mouth was just above the inside of her knee. She groaned.

"I know." A rough voice breathed into her ear. Lips brushed beneath it, a tongue barely peeking out.

"C'mon, I can fucking pick where I wanna put it! I fuckin love this spot."

The doubting voice grumbled but then someone's teeth were in her skin, alpha hormones pumping into her bloodstream, and Sakura fell from consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Well, I just couldn't leave well enough alone... I wanted at least _something_ to happen! Maybe there's slight OOC, but not so much that I can't just blame it on instincts... Besides, the story was about _this close_ to being PWP. ;)

* * *

Sakura stirred awake in a comfortable bed, feeling loose and relaxed, surrounded by a light and soothing scent that reminded her of the beach. Her plump lips parted with a breath and she curled her body around the source of both the scent and a tantalizing warmth that seeped through her muscles and into her bones, its pulsating cradling its way around her heartbeat.

"Mmmmm…" She sighed quietly.

A huge hand tangled into her hair and calloused fingers dragged soothingly against her scalp. Then she remembered dark, fuzzy vision and deep bites of teeth and shot up, her eyes opening.

She was shoulder-to-shoulder with the shark-man… whose lap her head had been in. She gasped, "What?"

"Nope, it wasn't a dream." He said in his raspy voice, shoulders rippling as he stretched. He appeared unconcerned by her proximity, not worried that she might hit him.

Or it merely appeared that way. His expression was blank, dark eyes zeroed in on her features and waiting to see what her reaction would be. There was something… weirdly vulnerable about it, for a moment.

She slid away, wrapping her arms around her knees. Her brow creased in thought. What to do now? She could venomously reject and berate him - after all, they were alone in the room so it would be one-on-one. But…

 **I wouldn't recommend it.** Inner said. **You're already bonded, so you're stuck with him. Rejecting him would kill something in him just like theirs would you.**

True. The occasional omega came through the hospital back home and every now and then came one who had tried too hard to reject an alpha they'd already bonded and mated. It had messed their hormones up to the point where they could never again maintain a healthy relationship - and the alphas themselves were even worse off, ranging from overly aggressive to suicidal. Was this really worth that?

Sakura's bright green eyes slid over to the alpha. She supposed… She couldn't really subject anyone to that, no matter who they were. Curse her soft heart! Dammit!

Her gaze fell down to the white bedsheets. She said softly, "I'm Sakura."

"Kisame." He answered, unsure. "The others are - well - they're not here right now. Sorry about that. They should be."

She frowned.

 **YES, they SHOULD be here! Fucking alphas, really! They should ALWAYS be there when an omega wakes after the bite! No excuses!**

"Yeah." She agreed. Then she looked down at herself and realized she was in the same dirty clothes she had run away in and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Where can I get a bath?"

Suddenly realizing, Kisame sheepishly scratched his head. He was much less scary than she would have expected from an S-Class missing ninja. "Yeah. Um, in here."

He led her through a door to her left and into a connected bathroom, hovering for a moment. His eyes darted to the window. She raised her eyebrows. "I'm not gonna run. You guys made sure of that when you bit me."

He didn't seem impressed.

Sakura sighed. "Fine, leave the door open so you can listen. But no peeking!"

 **Really? Really? I'd say YES peeking!**

Kisame was the one to raise their eyebrows now, but he stepped into the next room and left a towel on the side of the tub. She ran hot water in the tub, disrobed carefully, and stepped in. Hands grabbed a cloth and scrubbed dirt and sweat from her body. How the hell had they not thought to do this already? There was no telling how long she'd slept, drugged up on hormones and covered in a mess.

She turned towards the open door to mention this to Kisame, who was reclining on the bed belly-down and watching her hungrily. She glared halfheartedly. "Doesn't that constitute peeking?"

"Not if I look at safe territory." He answered offhandedly, biceps flexing as he shifted. They were oh so very visible under the short-sleeved mesh shirt he was wearing and very distracting. Ninja were always in shape but… damn he was ripped… and huge.

"…Which you seem to have left." He said. She flushed and dunked her head to wet her hair.

The situation was just barely on the better side of awkward, and tension still remained that would likely take time to ease. But Sakura had never been a person to wallow or to waste her time - so she would just woman up and move forward. It appeared that Kisame was doing the same, sans woman-ing up.

She rinsed shampoo from her shoulder-length hair. "Whose room is that?"

"Yours."

"What?" She asked, jaw dropping.

"It's yours." He repeated. "We figured we could just take turns staying in there with you. You don't want to be around all of us all the time. And you need somewhere to keep stuff."

That was… oddly touching, that they had thought of that. Well, she clenched her jaw, Kisame had been good enough to think of it. She couldn't really tell since three of her alphas weren't here. She made a split second decision.

"Until they make it up to me, only you get to stay in here. They should've been here when I woke up." She propped her arms on the side of the tub, resting a dainty chin on them. She narrowed her eyes. "If they want the perks of being an alpha then they need to deal with the responsibility."

Kisame's face went slack for a moment before he composed himself with a laugh. "Who would've guessed the blue guy would be your favorite alpha?"

"Who would've guessed he would've been the better alpha?" She shot back. "The others obviously have faulty instincts."

Sakura paused, noticing the mark on her wrist. Upon further exploration she found silvery crescents over her elbow and inner thigh as well, each with a faint scent. On closer inspection, her leg smelled metallic - which was very odd - and the inside of her elbow gave the impression of chocolate. Her wrist made her think of the ocean as she inhaled, nose pressed to her skin.

"The wrist was me." Kisame noted. "Kakuzu bit your elbow, Hidan your leg. Itachi picked your neck."

"An odd place." She commented, tracing fingers over her thigh. "He must've been the perv with the pale hair."

"That's him." A look of discomfort briefly crossed his features. "I don't really know what the omega is supposed to do. I never thought I'd have one so I didn't exactly brush up on it. You don't… bite us, do you?"

 **WHAT? Not unless you ask nicely!** Inner Sakura leered.

Sakura said wryly. "I'm not going to bite you. I'm supposed to… Well…"

To say it out loud was kind of embarrassing…

"What?"

"Irubmyselfonyouuntilyousmelllikeme"

Kisame's face twisted in confusion as he sat up. "What was that?"

Sakura pressed her knuckles against her eyes and huffed. "I'm supposed give all of you my scent. By… physical contact."

His face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning - it was totally out of place on such scary, stern features. "Really? So you what? Rub yourself against me? That's a real thing?"

She glared at him weakly, red spotting her cheeks. "Yes, I do. Geez, it's like that's never happened to you."

Kisame's brow crinkled. "It's not like women line up to touch a man who looks like a shark."

"Lucky for you," Sakura piped in, feeling guilty, "an omega's vanity instincts aren't like a beta's."

A moment of silence hovered between the two. After telling Kisame to turn around she exited the bathtub and dried off, receiving an oversized shirt to wear. With a moment's hesitation, she tugged on her back shorts, loathe to go without. She almost wished she had worn a bra, as her bindings would be too cumbersome to deal with right now.

When she entered the - her - bedroom, she was pleased to note that it was furnished fully, with a chest of drawers, mirror, desk, and chairs. Across from the bathroom was a door that she assumed led into a hallway. Her eyes glanced back at Kisame, now lounging back against the pillows with a forced air of nonchalance, arms behind his head.

"So, uh, when do I get that scenting thing?" He asked, shifting.

"I guess… now?" Sakura said nervously, looking at her feet.

She wasn't a particularly experienced person, in the past avoiding most contact to prevent anyone from learning that she was an omega. As a result, Sakura had never been a girl - woman now, at the age of 19 - who was very confident in her femininity. Sure, her instincts would try to force it on her, but that did not mean it reached her physical presence or personality. The only thing she thought might be considered attractive about her was her scent. So now, faced not with a boy of her age but a fully grown male alpha was… a bit frightening to say the least. And Kisame seemed to be one of those whose instincts weren't obvious on the surface, but would surely catch her off guard.

But to Kisame, laying back and watching her, Sakura looked divine. She had the kind of appearance found in especially vain betas with none of the cruel edge, wide emerald eyes set over a plush mouth that begged to be touched. She was slim, almost breakable, but there was no mistaking the swell of her breasts against the blue shirt that fit her like a dress, nor the curve of her rounded hips. And - oh god - she smelled of sweetness, ripeness, and everything that the alpha in him itched to devour. He wanted to put his hands all over her and follow with his mouth.

Sakura slowly moved towards him, breaking Kisame from the strange reverie he seemed to be in. Her heartrate sped as she placed a knee on the bed, pulling herself over his huge, warm body. She put hesitant hands on his shoulders and leaned in to rub her cheek against his. Her nose ghosted down the side of his neck as she pressed her face to his collarbone, her hair tickling his chin. Sinuously, like a cat, her form undulated against his muscular torso, sending a wave of heat rushing through him.

A hand cupped her jaw, urging her face towards his, and Sakura's pulse raced through her veins. When they were forehead-to-forehead his lips touched hers and his other arm slid around the enticing indent of her waist.

Kisame's lips were warmer and less rough than she would have expected, softly pressing and curving against hers with a quiet sound. Her own, nervous or surprised by the moment, relaxed and parted with a tiny sigh. Her hands slid to his neck for her thumbs to touch his pulse, laughably small against the bulk of his massive shoulders. When her body rubbed against his once more he surged against her, the hand on her cheek tangling into silky pink hair and tugging until her back arched. Her breasts pressed against his chest as he leaned into her, mouth sliding against hers.

Sakura felt as though she were being swept away, surrounded by heat and firmness and an intoxicating scent that made her mouth water. The mouth against hers opened and a smooth and curious tongue traced circles into her lower lip. She found that the angle, the tugging in her hair and the palm kneading her lower back coaxed her lips into budding open in invitation. Kisame's tongue dipped into her mouth to rub and twist against hers and a rush coiled in her stomach as a groan vibrated from his throat and into hers.

She slid against him again, spine curving backwards as the hand in her hair kept her face turned up to his. The other hand traveled to her side, sweeping up and down and pausing for a thumb to work small, firm circles into the side of her breast - her sigh was louder at that. Her hands fell to his impressive chest, feeling the solidness of it. While his lips and tongue tasted her a flush had settled into her cheekbones, her hazy eyes hidden under her lashes.

Kisame was in heaven, reveling in the softness settled above him. Sakura tasted as sweet as she smelled, and every voiced breath of hers rendered his brain less capable of thought. He could die here, he thought, or at least spend eternity like this. His lips parted from hers with a wet sound. His nose ran along the side of her neck, lips pressed to her skin.

Both of his hands held the sides of her ribcage, thumbs massaging so close to the underside of her breasts. His tongue dipped into the hollow of her throat, tasting. Sakura tilted her head back instinctively, pressing herself closer to the source of the smell, of the seductive, masculine heat.

Then the door banged open, startling her into awareness.

There stood Hidan, flabbergasted by the sight before him. Kisame's mouth remained on her neck, intent on ignoring him. "What the fuck?"


	3. Chapter 3

Hidan's eyes were glued to where Kisame's lips touched her neck. Slowly a sound started in his chest, that deep inhuman growl that alphas were somehow capable of producing. He glared.

"Are you seriously fucking her without us? You shithead!" He said.

 **FUCKING? Does this REALLY look like fucking to you, asshole!**

All too aware of her seat on Kisame's lap, Sakura tugged away slightly but his hands around her were unyielding. She pushed on his shoulders.

"We're not banging!" She yelled at Hidan. "And screw you, I am not participating in gangbangs for the rest of my life, you asshole!"

Forcing chakra into her hands, she managed to separate Kisame's lips from her neck. He blinked. Hidan was still snarling in the doorway, hands on his hips.

"He doesn't get to go first! I'll kick his ass if he does!" Hidan continued as though he hadn't heard her.

 **Great, one of THOSE alphas.**

Kisame watched in amusement as the silver haired alpha started moving forwards, fingers still splayed and pressing into Sakura's ribs. Just as it seemed like he was going to let a fight happen he spoke the perfect words.

"It's a freaky omega smell ritual."

The sentence hovered in the air.

"Freaky?" Sakura sputtered.

"Ritual?" Hidan brightened.

He strode up to the side of the bed, arms crossed and looking expectantly at her. "My turn."

"Your turn?" She demanded. "Maybe if you'd been here when I woke up?"

"What? You were fucking sleeping!"

Sakura pulled away from Kisame. "Really? Because what if I'd woken up and Kisame wasn't there, huh? Newly bonded and all alone because of shitty alphas who didn't care? Huh? And then been depressed for months? I've seen it happen, jackass!"

He was dumbstruck. "How was I supposed to know?"

"Try following the instincts that aren't telling you to growl at everybody." She said icily.

She moved towards him, instantly covered in that strange scent that reminded her of steel, or perhaps blood. She slid her cheek against his, once. Then backed away grumpily. She crossed her arms.

This wasn't how she thought her eventual bonding would happen. Truth be told… She had been waiting hopefully, holding out for the day Sasuke came home. She would have taken him aside, shown him her secret, and he finally would've noticed her… how could he not at that point, being an alpha himself? But that possibility had been cut short by this.

Instead here she was, taken by the enemy. She couldn't help her instincts in this situation, she knew that, but it didn't stop her from feeling ashamed. What would her team think? Naruto and Kakashi, both alphas who had never bonded, could never understand the pull of it, the futility. She certainly hadn't. And they would kick into gear when they saw her, so aggressive, and suddenly her precious teammates and her alphas would be killing and hurting each other-

The thought sliced her heart open in her chest.

 **Don't go all depressed on me now!** Inner Sakura admonished. **You're not some helpless little girl! Kick ALL their asses and MAKE them get along! There's a reason alphas don't coexist without an omega between them - you could get anything you wanted from these meatheads!**

She was right, Sakura reflected.

 **Besides, just because you have to let them sniff around you all the time DOESN'T mean you have to roll over and bang them yet! Make them WORK FOR IT, girl!**

Easier said than done, she thought glumly. The other two would be rolling in any moment now, four different sets of pheromones in the air, and they would want to touch her and smell her and her life would consist solely of gangbangs and- Oh god, she wasn't ready for this! Her too-easy reception of Kisame's kiss was proof enough that her brain could only control her body to a certain extent. She couldn't punch holes in her alphas!

Except one, her mind suggested as her gaze snapped over to a frowning Hidan.

His cheeks were twitching as he fumed. "Kisame's was better than mine."

"Kisame was here when I woke up." She sniffed. She was not letting that go anytime soon.

Hidan growled again, furiously throwing off his Akatsuki cloak and cracking his knuckles at Kisame. "I'm gonna kick your fuckin ass dude!"

A matching rumble from Kisame - who couldn't be expected to take that attitude from another alpha for much longer - had Sakura on edge, scooting away to the other side of the bed. Her still-damp hair clung to her cheek, mussed from the grip he'd had on it.

Then more bodies in the doorway interrupted the developing fight. Itachi nonchalantly observed the position of the two alphas in the room as he entered and immediately put on a bored expression, looking away. The other… Kakuzu?… had removed the head garment and cloak, revealing stitched up scars that intrigued the medic in her. She pointedly ignored the way her omega side puffed in pride at the number of ass-kickings the scars attested to him dishing out.

It also seemed that she was doomed to a lifetime of men bursting uninvited into her room.

"Already fighting?" Kakuzu said.

"I come home and fucking shark face is already tryin to go at it!" Hidan accused.

Itachi's head whipped around so fast she thought he might get whiplash. "Really?"

"That's not what happened." Kisame said. "He's just pissed because she's mad at everyone but me."

Hidan's grimace proved him right. Itachi's eyes fell on Sakura and - still wary of his Sharingan - she averted her gaze somewhere less threatening. Kakuzu? Yes, Kakuzu.

Except he was also staring at her. She felt suddenly very small, alone in a room with four men who were each at least a head taller than her.

"Why are you angry?" Kakuzu asked.

Kisame saved her from answering, but his victorious face wasn't helping matters in the least. "You weren't here when she woke up."

At the responding silence Sakura interceded righteously. "You have no idea what happens to omegas who wake alone after being bitten! How would you feel having to deal with a suicidal omega for months? Huh?"

Hidan said, "Yeah, well we left Kisame with you so fuck that, you weren't alone! That doesn't mean you get to cheat us out of your weird smell thing!"

"It's not weird!" She argued, embarrassed.

"Smell thing?" Itachi asked dangerously, catching onto the same fact Hidan had moments ago.

"It looked way more fun when you did it with him," Hidan purred smugly.

"You already had yours." She said. And then she said the one thing she knew would make them sorry. "You need to be better alphas."

The room froze. Every eye was on her, unable to process the accusation. She could've sworn that the temperature dropped several degrees - even Kisame looked scandalized.

"I can show you a better alpha." Itachi said, dark eyes narrow and mouth downturned. He was beside her in an instant, long hand in her hair and pressing her head against his side. Sakura's heart fell.

"What is this smell thing?" He asked Kisame, fingers curled in pink strands firmly. His scent was pushy, forcing against her lungs - he must have been overproducing on purpose, and it was sharp and deep like wine.

Kisame lifted a shoulder at her betrayed expression when he answered, "The omega covers you in their scent. Hidan's pissed because he just got a measly brush of the cheek."

"Yeah, because she really needed to scent the inside of your mouth."

He snickered at the grumble, enjoying the way his fellow alphas darkened further. Sakura had been right, they had latched onto whatever led to contact, and she had insulted their masculinity and now they had something to prove… Great, just great. She should really learn to think harder before speaking.

"You were going to deny us something so basic?" Itachi's hand urged her face towards him

Her eyes went anywhere they could not to meet his, from his raised eyebrows to his straight nose. Her mouth tightened. "You weren't here."

She turned her head away, but the mattress dipped as Itachi settled beside her, chest pressed against her shoulder. Her ear was tilted to his mouth by his hand in her hair.

Warm breath puffed against her. "We're here now."

Two more bodies settled around her, Kakuzu in front of her and Hidan behind. At the unrelenting grip in her hair Sakura realized her mistake.

The other alphas weren't like Kisame. Even he, in his own subtle way, was insistent but the others were downright pushy. She felt trapped between them, with no escape route. Her eyes darted to the door and then to Kisame, looking put-out on the other side of the bed.

Hidan pulled her tense body against his, heat seeping from his hands and onto her abdomen through the large shirt she wore. Now she really, really wished that she had taken the extra time to bind her breasts because Kakuzu's eyes were dropping, mesmerized, and he was leaning forwards and she thought she might pass out.

His face rubbed against her collarbone, inhaling. She had no idea how appetizing she looked then, crushed between three alphas with her drying hair held against the top of her head to reveal a long, delightful neck. Her eyes blinked rapidly, trying to process what was going on, but it made her lashes flutter. Her arms were captive between her and Kakuzu, preventing her from reacting when Itachi's tongue dipped inside her ear. Her breath caught.

"T-this isn't… the same thing…" Sakura said, wriggling against Hidan's grip.

"Isn't it?" Itachi's voice brushed against her. "As long as we smell like you, we've succeeded."

Kakuzu's mouth left her clavicle, cheek pressed over her hearbeat. Then he nipped the skin through her shirt and Sakura jerked back into Hidan, who appeared to be safer territory at the moment.

Itachi mouth descended, finding the mark he'd given her and tasting the skin. His thumb stroked the corner of her mouth, tugging at her lower lip.

"Relax." Hidan said through his sloppy kisses at the nape of her neck. "You're too tense."

"Easy for you to say." She shot back.

True, it was one thing to have her guard coaxed down by the comparatively nonthreatening Kisame(and wasn't that the surprise of the century?) but now there were three alphas around her, all asserting themselves at the same time. One one side, her brain was saying _alpha, dangerous!_ and on the other, her instincts purred _alpha, mine!_ It was confusing and frustrating, dammit, and there was no way her muscles would loosen with all of that going on in her head.

Then clever, horrible Kakuzu reached up and the wide pads of his fingers quested up the side of her neck before massaging below her ear, right where her skull gave way to flexible neck.

For a second all Sakura could feel was that one spot, burning and pulsating, and then her body gave out and slumped between the men. Air whooshed from her chest and her head rolled back against Hidan's shoulder, eyes going lidded.

"The fuck was that?"

"Omega pressure point." Kakuzu's voice came from its place against her heart, still paused to feel it thudding.

"Well, fuck yes." He murmured against her shoulder.

Itachi's hand slid to join its twin in her hair as he leaned against her and grazed his mouth over hers - she'd forgotten how he was when he bit her, how he seemed to enjoy dragging things out, allowing her to anticipate what he would do. Just like now, where his lips pressed persistent kisses against the corner of hers, tongue barely slipping between plush peach when they softened for him. His chest expanded against her shoulder with every inhale, fingers digging pleasurably into her scalp.

Hidan's hands stroked down to her hipbones, kneading and squeezing. "I wanna see that fuckin move you did to Kisame."

Sakura twisted her body against Kakuzu's like an overgrown feline, torso rising against him and the swell of her breast grazing his chin.

A groan vibrated against her collarbone and he pushed right back against her, his mouth touching her skin through the noise.

Hidan was all over her back, nuzzling her hair and trailing open-mouthed kisses along her neck. It felt like his shoulders were surrounding her, they were so close and so wide against hers.

There were too many sensations to handle all at once, too many hands and mouths and smells. She felt dizzy, a warm ball of fuzz spinning in her stomach. Itachi's lips curled against hers at the small sound she emitted. She pulled away from him and opened her eyes.

"That's it. You smell like me. You c-can stop now."

Hidan whined. "What? C'mon, you had just started having fun."

Kakuzu was glaring halfheartedly at her from his vantage point against her chest. Inner Sakura cackled. **I guess SOMEONE is a boob guy.**

She broke free of their arms by squirming out like a ferret, observing them from a cozy place against the headboard. Kakuzu looked especially grumpy, brow furrowed. Itachi sighed in displeasure, lips flushed and swollen from their kiss. And, of course, Hidan had crossed his arms like a kid being denied candy.

"I don't know exactly how far you thought you were going to go," Sakura ignored Hidan's crude remark, "But I just met you. Instinct is one thing, but it can't force me to have sex with you. Especially when-well…"

"What? You a prude?" Hidan asked. "Was the last guy really fuckin bad? Because lemme tell ya, there will no comparing what we do to that-"

Kakuzu stopped him before it could get worse by shoving him off the bed and ignoring his snarls, like a cat proudly tormenting the obnoxious neighbor dog.

"No way!" She screeched at him. "Besides, I wouldn't have any basis for comparison, and-"

"There is no way you are a virgin." Kisame dropped his earlier pout, interested. "No way in hell-"

Itachi interrupted, displaying that these four _clearly_ had a problem with letting each other speak. "It makes sense, Kisame. How else would she be unbonded at her age?"

"I'm not that old!" She complained.

"No." Hidan agreed. "You make Kakuzu look like a goddamn grandpa over there."

Immediately wiping that image away with mind soap - because _really_ , Hidan, his face had just been in her chest and she did not need that nightmare - she was pleased to see Kisame hurl a pillow at the silver haired man. She also didn't like the way that a few of them - namely Kakuzu himself, not to mention the drooling Kisame - seemed far too pleased about her virginity. She sniffed. Men.

"And there's no way in hell that my first time will be part of a damn gangbang, which is what the four of you appear to expect," She said harshly, "with all of this talk about taking turns or who goes first."

She glared. She also ignored their expressions at hearing the word 'gangbang.'

Itachi propped himself back on his hands, reclining in thought. "Then I suppose we should decide who actually does go first."

He ignored her immediate protests. "With our logic. And our words - _real_ words, Hidan. We should try not to fight."

 _Even if I know I would win._ His thought went unvoiced.

"It should be me!" Hidan said from the floor, chin propped on the bed as he argued.

Kakuzu scoffed. "So you can rut her like an animal? I don't think so. The point is to make it good."

"I would be so fucking good! I'm more sexual than any of you bastards!"

"Sexual is not the same as sensual." Itachi said. "And I must confess that I don't find you very erotic at all."

Oh yes. Sakura could imagine that Itachi was nothing if not erotic. But this conversation about her deflowering was happening totally over her head and she felt like any moment she could start throwing punches. **That'll show them a nice, sweet omega!**

Kisame, who had been blessedly silent as those cases were made, spoke up. Thank god, she thought, maybe he would berate the others and make them shut up.

"Well… I have the biggest dick. So there's that."


	4. Chapter 4 - Kakashi Interlude

**A/N:** Hey guys, another chapter here!

Also, I've gotten a lot of questions concerning Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, which is the name of the trope I'm using here. It's a really popular format on Archive of Our own and one of my favorites. For those of you wondering, I'll explain the version that I'm using.

Every person has a unique scent and the different types of people can be distinguished by a certain edge to theirs - meaning someone like Sakura has her own scent even when suppressing with chakra, but she is hiding the extra layer that marks her as an Omega. In this world it isn't uncommon for an Omega to have multiple Alphas, since all it takes to add another is for them to be bitten. Too many Alphas results in a pretty chaotic home environment, but Omega hormones can both distract and pacify them.

An Alpha's biology makes Omegas very desirable since most of them are female and very fertile - although a male Omega or a female Alpha are not totally unheard of. When these two dispositions mate the Alpha leaves a bite on the Omega that doesn't fade until the Alpha in question dies. Individuals who are mated find each other very physically pleasant and are most at ease when in contact with each other. They can track each other via smell no matter the distance and the loss of a mate usually drives them into a deep depression and makes life unbearable for them. Since the Omega is the uniting factor in larger groups it's important for them to scent the Alphas to bind them together as a unit.

Betas are the closest to regular people and can find either disposition desirable based on personal preference - they just don't have the same uncontrollable instincts.

I think this covers the really big details... If I left anything out feel free to ask questions! Anyways, on to the next chapter! Enjoy!

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Birds chirped merrily overhead as Kakashi's shoes scuffed across the road. Hands in his pockets, he sighed deeply in frustration. This was all wrong, so very wrong.

He was actually about to be on time for a meeting with Tsunade, whereas he would've usually popped in through the window about half an hour late. But that wasn't what was so wrong - Sakura had been missing for two days now, and he couldn't help feeling worried for her. Her being able to take care of herself wasn't about to stop that, and it certainly couldn't prevent Naruto from tearing apart the village to find her. Jiraiya's apprentice had resorted to throwing rocks at Tsunade's window to get her attention and she had finally relented by summoning Kakashi this morning, which would be the third day of the kunoichi's disappearance.

His knuckles rapped against the Hokage's door in false nonchalance and he entered when bid to.

She stood at the window with her back to him, arms crossed and her shoulders set in a stressed line. Speaking to Tsunade was always very strange for Kakashi as she was one of the only female alphas he could remember meeting. There was something about her that distinctly discouraged nonsense - which was one of his subtler skills, he'd admit - and as an alpha who found the female form very pleasing he was never sure how to behave near her.

"You called?" He asked.

Tsunade turned, frowning, and leaned against the windowsill. "I'm sure you know why. Sakura has not returned to the village. Two days ago I sent her out to collect some medicinal samples for research. It was an easy job, far below her capabilities, and she should have returned by now."

Her lips thinned. "As her teacher, I would give her the benefit of the doubt and allowed her to return in her own time. I know what she can do. As close to the village as she was sent, I anticipated nothing that she could not handle."

"What has changed?" Kakashi asked in growing unease.

"Jiraiya has just informed me that the Akatsuki were spotted not too far from where Sakura was sent. No one else in the area could have delayed her like this."

Uh-oh. Bad, this was very bad!

"Scenario one, Sakura has been killed by them." Tsunade said angrily. "Which would not accept unless there were a completed autopsy on a recovered body. Scenario two, they have captured her and currently hold her prisoner. In which case she will be retrieved."

Silence.

Kakashi said quietly, "There is a third option."

"That is the one I fear most." She confessed. "I summoned you today not only because you were part of her team, but because I knew I could trust you with this information. How long have you known?"

"Since the day I met her."

It was true. Kakashi was perceptive - he did not merely observe with his nose. He had to admit that Sakura was stupendous at suppressing her scent, but that was not the only indicator of an omega. There was a certain length of limb, a softness around the eyes, and a wariness of others that could give them away if one knew what to look for. A medic of Tsunade's caliber certainly would.

And there was a special shot, designed for alphas traveling incognito on missions where instinct had no place. It inhibited production of the hormone injected by an alpha's mating bite, removing the urge to claim any omega that happened across. They would be no less pleasing to be around, but the matter could be solely in the realm of the alpha's self-control rather than being a biological imperative. The herbal components of it weren't easy to come by, so it wasn't on the general market, but if a jounin instructor found themselves training an omega they could request it. It simply wouldn't be professional otherwise.

However, many alphas enjoyed unleashing themselves on the world and he could imagine that a group of S-ranked criminals like the Akatsuki would see no need for inhibiting themselves in such a manner.

"You had the shot?" Tsunade asked. He nodded. "Our own training was taxing on Sakura's chakra reserves, especially at the beginning. It was only a matter of time until she would've slipped, even if I didn't know already. How many Akatsuki members are confirmed alphas?"

"Itachi Uchiha's file listed him." Kakashi said, then thought back to his other encounters. "And his partner, Kisame Hoshigaki. The two involved in the Kazekage's abduction were alphas as well. I would not be surprised if there were more."

"If Sakura engaged in combat with them, there is no doubt that her chakra would end up depleted. In that case, they would have discovered what she was." Tsunade said. "She may very likely have been bitten. In which case I really don't know what to do. Her mates will be enemies of the village."

"But no matter what her brain dictates, there's no helping it if they bit her." Kakashi said quietly. "She would never be the same after their deaths."

"No." Tsunade agreed. "But I must choose between acting as her friend or as the leader of this village. Speaking as the Hokage, it is likely that the Akatsuki have stolen one of my kunoichi. They are enemies that must be neutralized and she is an asset that we cannot lose. She has up-to-date intel on the inner workings of Konoha and the strengths and weaknesses of a number of its shinobi. On top of that, she is a close friend of the kyuubi vessel and would be easy bait to lure Naruto out. Can we risk that?"

He wasn't forced to answer that question, since the Hokage continued to speak. "However, speaking as her mentor, there is a high likelihood that she would take her own life at such a loss. There must be some middle ground."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, considering the situation. Kakashi himself was conflicted. Yes, it was in the life of a shinobi to sacrifice, to choose between happiness and duty. But he couldn't just abandon Sakura in such a way - for him to allow his students the hope of Sasuke's return, after all he had done, but to condemn Sakura for a situation that she could not help… It would be the worst kind of favoritism. At a loss, he waited to hear what the Hokage would say.

"As of now," She said. "We must expect possibility three as the most likely. Here is what we must do. You will receive a double dose of the shot and lead a team of betas to retrieve Sakura. You understand the situation, and I leave it to you - your team will be notified that this is a highly classified mission, and you will not inform them of the specifics until you are closing in."

"Naruto will want to join the team."

She grimaced. "He will not join you. He is too emotional for this situation, too invested - and as an alpha he would try to kill the Akatsuki, who are _looking_ for him. Even a shot would not prevent him from making poor decisions and running off on his own."

Kakashi agreed, but knew what kind of reaction the blond-haired teen would have. "He'll raise hell. How do you know he won't follow us?"

Tsunade smiled slowly. "Naruto will be delivering a sealed message to Sasuke Uchiha."

That afternoon saw Kakashi met at the gates of the village by a mismatched group consisting of TenTen, Shino Aburame, and Shikamaru Nara. They were a good fit for the mission with each being unlikely to gossip and able to remain less emotional where Sakura was concerned - and their skill sets lent themselves well to a situation where restraint and subterfuge would be very necessary. When Gai had learned that Kakashi was borrowing one of his students he tearfully wrote him a guide to all of her likes and dislikes, imploring him to "treat her gently for me, my rival."

The plan was to begin the search within the area where Sakura had been assigned to gather samples. From there, if the worst case was indeed true, Kakashi was to catch her scent and track her from there. He was to inform his team of the situation as soon as her scent became identifiable as that of an omega.

Of the young shinobi following him, only TenTen was visibly curious. Yet while Shikamaru's face gave nothing away, Kakashi was certain that the gears in his mind were at work and closing in on possible reasons why Sakura might be missing. As usual Shino could not be deciphered in the least.

"Do you think Sakura is okay?" TenTen asked.

"Okay… Likely." Kakashi pondered aloud. "Certainly alive, if my guesses are correct."

Shikamaru grumbled, "And when do you plan to share those?"

"Soon enough."

They arrived to the particular forest regionin question, where the plants Sakura were gathering had a tendency to grow. With his back to the others, Kakashi very slightly lifted his mask to allow fresh air to meet his nostrils - his mask had the advantages of being both very stylish and blocking unpleasant smells from his sensitive nose. He breathed in… Yes… There were traces that suggested people had been here, but he could scarcely make out a single person's aroma - this close to Konoha, many shinobi surely trained or traveled here.

He summoned Pakkun and pulled a handkerchief from one of the pouches on his hip. "We're looking for Sakura. Can you tell if she was here?"

"Hmmmm… Not here, but nearby. Let's go!"

They followed the ninja dog as he rapidly sought their friend's presence and led them through the tall trees, twisting and turning. It appeared as though he were leading them in a circle, but closing in on its center. After a while of traveling like this Pakkun halted. Ahead of them the trees abruptly thinned and laying innocently at the foot of a tree was Sakura's pack.

"She left her things here." TenTen said. "Why would she do that?"

And then they saw the craters in the clearing just ahead. Kakashi spoke up, "Let's make sure she isn't somewhere in there."

They fanned out, peering into the holes and shifting rubble, but nothing turned up the missing kunoichi. He almost wished she was there if only to make their decisions concerning her much easier. But that thought made him immediately feel guilty. He hadn't begrudged Sasuke the difficulty of trying to retrieve him. He certainly shouldn't do that to Sakura.

Then he smelled it.

It was the edge of sweetness that Sakura's scent had lacked for as long as he'd known her - the complete opposite of the musk that tended to surround an alpha's odor. He'd never been more glad to have avoided encountering it before, as it was alarmingly appealing… Like flowers… Or plucking a ripe peach from a tree and sinking your teeth into it-

Yes, he was very thankful for the double dosage Tsunade had injected him with.

At that point their fears had been confirmed - there was no way that an alpha, Akatsuki or not, could smell that and not pursue. It would be less consuming now if she had indeed been bitten, but if she were to lose those alphas her biology would produce it all over again.

Shikamaru was the first to notice it aside from him, stiffening. As a beta he could detect the omega flavor to the scent and even find it pleasant, but it would not rattle his instincts in quite the same way it would an alpha.

"Is this what you neglected to tell us?" He asked as their team gathered around. "You've gotta be kidding me. Of all the people…"

"Yes, it is an unexpected development, but that is why the three of you were so necessary. I won't sugarcoat things - the Akatsuki were spotted not far from here. If this battlefield is any indication, they ran into Sakura. And judging by the scent…"

"Not good at all." Shikamaru said, eyes widening slightly. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

"So that means… The Akatsuki- they're not… alphas, are they?"

Two sets of eyes and a pair of shades watched his every expression. TenTen looked almost pleading, hoping and praying that he could prove her wrong. He could see the way Shikamaru's brain had hit overdrive, working itself to the limit with the information it had to try and find a solution - exactly why he was chosen, because if anyone besides Tsunade could figure something out it was him. Even Shino appeared taken aback, if the imperceptible slackness in his jaw was anything to judge by.

Kakashi scratched his nose. "Unfortunately, all known members are."

There was outcry at that.

"We've got to do something!" TenTen cringed. "We can't just let them run off with her and-and…"

She didn't finish the thought. Kakashi neglected to mention that Sakura was likely being treated a thousand times better than any other captive would have been - if she could even be considered a captive.

Instead he said gently, "That is why we are retrieving her. After that the Hokage will decide how to proceed. We should continue on."

As they followed the tracks, not to mention the smell, Shikamaru ran beside him. "I don't doubt you, but… Are you going to be okay?"

"What do you mean?" He knew exactly what the chuunin was insinuating.

Uncomfortably, he said. "Won't this be even more difficult for you? Y'know… Don't make me say it."

"I've had an extra large dosage of the shot we use on missions." Kakashi continued darkly, "I was chosen because I already knew Sakura's secret… You can trust me to control myself."

Where Sakura was concerned, yes… But he wasn't so sure how the alpha in him would respond to the Akatsuki themselves - especially not if they really had bitten her.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hey guys, I figure this is as good a time as any to mention that this story will contain spoilers eventually! (Heck, doesn't most fanfiction?) And it is an Akatsuki/Sakura story, so no matter what it seems that is indeed my endgame.

Also, I would like to take a minute to thank all of the people who reviewed! I never expected this story to get the kind of reception that it did and I'm so grateful for all of the people who are liking it so far!

Enjoy the next installment! Thanks for reading!

* * *

Somewhere between Itachi saying, "You make a compelling argument, but can you actually prove it?" and Kakuzu crying, Sakura punched a hole through the wall.

Comments such as Hidan's, "Dude I'm way fucking bigger than you," led to her utterly destroying the dresser after which Kisame's, "I didn't think omegas could do that," was just the icing on the cake for her poorly-aimed punch to stab the wall right beside the man's head.

She later found out that no, Kakuzu was not producing tears because of the size of his dick but because he'd thought about how much money it would cost to repair the room.

If anyone were to accuse her of hiding right now, Sakura would vehemently deny it. But there was no denying that she was indeed sitting in the corner of someone's closet. She couldn't be sure who it belonged to since she had simply picked a room while exploring the house the Akatsuki had brought her to.

It was a sprawling, one-storied affair full of twists and turns. Looking out the window one would see the steadily rising trees indicative of a valley as well as the telltale shimmer in the distance that spoke of the inside of a field of genjutsu.

Hidden by a rack of clothing and comfortably nestled into the dark space, Sakura finally managed a clearer head. The time after waking had swept her away in a sea of distraction, but being separated from the sources of her trouble she was able to consider exactly how fucked she was - after all, it was rather hard to remember to fear men arguing about the sizes of their dicks.

Sakura had no idea what to do. She could hardly lay back and simply accept what had happened! She loved her village with all her heart, and her team, and these people planned to kidnap Naruto! They were the enemy! By all rights she should poison them all in their sleep.

But she felt so afraid, deep in her gut, of doing that to herself. It was hardwired into her to never accept attacks on them after being bitten, and everything in her wanted to give in and wholeheartedly accept the new bond. Fear and guilty desire - now weren't those the makings of a healthy relationship?

'Plan, Sakura, plan…' She urged herself. 'Don't just let things take you by surprise…'

Well… Even if she could ignore her instincts, killing the Akatsuki was a feat beyond her. So she could count that out and stop worrying about it. She had no intentions to consummate the bond anytime soon, so that could go too.

It all boiled down to a question of whether or not she was opening to forming any sort of connection to these alphas. As far as Sakura was concerned, she could either take in stride whatever she was capable of and interact peacefully or claw and heckle them every chance she got. The first option would give her some measure of soothing while the second would exhaust everyone involved.

But she was a ninja, she reminded herself. Why should she make any decisions until she knew all of the factors involved? It appeared option one would serve her best in this case.

She sighed, rubbing at her eyes. What a mess.

A faint sliding sound indicated someone entering the room. Uh oh! They would certainly find her and… she would feel very embarrassed if caught in this place. Light, almost noiseless footsteps tapped over to the door of the closet, followed by a thump - already Sakura could smell a very distinctive aura of grapes, and wine, but dry and masculine.

The door slid open and there knelt Itachi, on eye level with her. He didn't seem particularly taken aback to find her here, but rather curious. A slight crease rested between his eyebrows, one of the few signals that he had no idea what was going on. She stared right back, unmoving, hands curled over her knees.

"Sakura…" He began. "Why are you in Kisame's closet?"

"It's comfortable." She said, eyes trained right between his eyes - the least threatening feature on Itachi's face. His lips were suspiciously high on that list.

He asked, "How can this be comfortable? It is rather cramped. And Kisame overfills it with clothing."

She glanced overhead, astonished that Kisame would be a clothing hoarder. True, he had stuffed the rack to excess, but that wasn't something Sakura would seek to accuse anyone of after seeing Ino's closet. She swallowed.

"It's more cozy than cramped." Sakura defended herself. "And it took a while for anyone to find me."

"Are you hiding?"

"I'm resting." She said firmly. "This is a very restful spot, unlike the bedroom people keep barging into."

"Ah. Restful? I would like to judge that for myself." With that Itachi slid in beside her, shoulder-to-shoulder, and darkness fell again when he closed the door.

Silence. It lasted for such a long time that she wondered if he had fallen asleep and the tension that followed his arrival slowly ebbed away until she was as at-ease as she could imagine being while crammed into a closet with an S-Ranked missing ninja. He was so tranquil that the only indications of his presence were the feel of his shoulder against hers and the occasional inhale. Not counting his scent, of course.

At long last he said, "You are avoiding us?"

"Why wouldn't I?" She answered. "Don't forget that you are Akatsuki and that I am a Konoha shinobi. We're not exactly on the best terms. And you want to kidnap my teammate - I could never forgive that."

There. It was out in the open. Now it remained for her to find out how Itachi would respond to that.

It took him a while. "You should know better than anyone that we mean no bodily harm to yourself. Any unwilling reluctance you have to hurt us is even stronger in ourselves. As for the second point, we are a group of shinobi following orders. Same as you."

He continued, "Akatsuki does not recruit volunteers. We will not reap the rewards that our leader seeks. I doubt anyone aside from him actually cares about finding jinchuuriki."

 **What? No way could that be true!**

"Why would you stay?" She asked harshly.

"Security. Where else could these individuals find safety? Not in a village. We remain to avoid an even more dangerous existence."

Sakura was coming to realize that Itachi was an alarmingly reasonable person, and she didn't know if she liked it or hated it. Her chin rested on her knees. The omega part of her was purring at the close proximity to one of her alphas - the same dangerous complacency that she had suffered from earlier.

"The unstable element at hand, however, is you." Itachi murmured. "You know that we would pursue if you try to run, but I still cannot decide if you would attempt it anyways. Alphas rarely have a choice in cherishing omegas, but you have more freedom of action in this situation. I would not be surprised if you had the willpower to destroy us at the cost of your own health. Do you have any intentions of rejecting this bond?"

"I can't make that decision yet." Sakura said, disturbed. "It's too soon to tell. But I will tell you this - any one of you that tries to force this bond too far will feel all of my wrath. I'm not a toy. I can't deny the bite once it's happened, but I sure as hell can decide the other steps for myself."

"You're all very scary," She clenched her hands, "and you could kill me if you wanted. But now you can't. I will hold myself hostage against you if that's what it takes to maintain my own decisions. None of you control me."

At length he retorted, "No, but that makes us no less persuasive. Do you mean to ignore us?"

"I will interact, but I mean to reconcile my own misgivings before anything else." Sakura smirked, "I know next to nothing about any of you. What if you aren't fit alphas?"

Another silence. "An upsetting accusation. Surely you would not cast aside your current opportunity for happiness?"

"Itachi," She said seriously. "My future involves a family. Considering what you've done to yours, how could I trust you near my children?"

For some odd reason, the spike in the alpha's scent wasn't indignation or satisfaction… Unexpectedly, it was a deep sorrow, the kind that few people ever carried. It spoke of longing and regret - not emotions that she had thought to encounter in this mass murderer.

"I would never." Itachi shifted beside her, voice nearly indecipherable. "…That tale is for another time."

The door opened yet again and by the heavier steps she guessed it was Kisame. This was… perhaps even more awkward than being discovered by someone who didn't own this closet. Kisame shuffled around for a few tense minutes - tense for Sakura at least, Itachi seemed wholly unconcerned - and eventually left.

Itachi pressed against her with his shoulder, the strands of his hair tickling the side of her face. "Sakura, don't you find me attractive?"

Great, just great. She had made the most vital choices of the moment, but if this alpha continued to try persuading her she didn't know how long her good intentions good last. Damn instincts! Damn Itachi and his soft hair! Damn that horrible shrieking voice in her head that was all too pleased at her current position.

His hand smoothed over the back of her neck, fingers kneading the skin in small circles. She could just barely make out his features in the blackness but she was overly aware of his body.

"Did you hear nothing I said?" Sakura asked.

Itachi purred, "I am not behaving so poorly. You want to be wooed, do you not?"

"Not what I said."

"How else am I to prove that I am a _fit alpha_?"

Sakura shifted. "I thought you had more self control than this."

"I am most definitely controlling myself right now." He said, nose sliding over the side of her neck.

"Is this the only reason you followed me into a closet?"

"No."

"You realize now you have to come out of the closet."

"You should know that I was never really in it." His mouth curled. "You have little cause to doubt me on that count."

The mark Itachi had left on her neck throbbed and Sakura raised a hand to soothe it. When her fingertips brushed it, Itachi froze - now the shivers race down his spine instead of hers. He buried his face in her shoulder, gripping the back of her neck tightly.

"What the hell was that?" She asked, unable to stop the slow victorious smirk on her face.

"What did you do?" He demanded softly, against her shoulder.

"I just touched the mark you left." Totally helpless to resist doing it again, Sakura stroked the tiny crescent marks more firmly, delighting in the way Itachi couldn't help melting against her.

 **Ha! Take that, stupid alpha!** Inner crowed in triumph. **You're not the only ones with a fancy pressure point to use as leverage.**

He drew in a long, shuddering breath. "That doesn't happen when I touch it."

"I need some kind of advantage, don't I?" Sakura asked. "It wouldn't be fair if only I had such a weakness."

His mouth pressed against where her fingers were touching the mark, effectively halting further experimentation. An arm looped around her and squeezed.

"That does not aid my self control, Sakura." Itachi protested, eyes lidded.

She relented, but when the two finally came out of poor Kisame's closet her mind was racing. She wanted nothing more than to try it on the others, preferably from safe hiding places where they would have no idea what was happening. Why not claim some sort of revenge for those bites?

Inner Sakura howled with laughter.


	6. Chapter 6

This was the fifth day since Sakura had woken up in her new bedroom, and it had been oddly… peaceful, if a bit bizarre. She spent a lot of time exercising in her room, loathe to allow herself to fall out of shape and lose her edge. Every now and then her personal space was invaded, as expected, but after watching her punch Hidan hard enough to break his spine the others were more wary.

While Kisame and Hidan were metaphorically up her ass all the time and Itachi sought her fairly often, Kakuzu was an entirely different story. He was the one who hovered on the edges of her vision, seemingly unable to decide whether or not to approach, like a stray animal that wanted to come closer but couldn't be sure if it were safe.

Sakura stood in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to boil for her tea when she smelled him nearby. She turned and although unable to see him called out.

"Hello?"

After a few seconds he furtively shuffled into view and halted at the counter. He looked very much like he wanted to say something but dithered for a moment, hands in his pockets.

"Sakura." He said finally.

Silence.

"Yes?" She prodded.

His odd eyes wavered around the room, fingers tugging at the messy dark hair that had fallen over a shoulder. It didn't appear that his unvoiced thoughts were pleasant and Sakura couldn't help feeling uneasy.

"Do you have your wallet on you right now?"

She pawed at her hips over another stolen shirt. Nothing turned up, as she was fairy sure that she didn't have any pockets. Then she tried to remember when she had last seen it.

"Uhh, I think I dropped it in the woods somewhere... I'm not sure the last time I saw it."

He choked, turning away from her. She was relieved that at least his shoulders weren't shaking - he wasn't crying this time.

"How can you not know?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, it wasn't really important at the time." He had to steady himself with a hand on the counter. "I've never really been one to agonize over money."

He began rattling off questions that he had no answer to, about her net worth, loans, and investments. It was when Sakura confessed that she did not know the exact amount of her savings that he spun around to glare at her fixing her tea.

"I don't understand how you can sleep at night."

"Well-"

"You need help. Lots of help, or you're doomed."

He then led her to his room and proceeded to remove a box from beneath the bed. She knelt beside him, sipping at green tea and raising her eyebrows at the display.

"Sakura." He said very seriously, staring directly at her. "I am going to give you twenty dollars. I recommend you sew some of it into your clothing. Just in case. And you should invest the rest of it."

She blinked. "How am I to invest in the middle of nowhere?"

"I make bets with Kisame. He is more hotheaded than Itachi, but less of a sore loser than Hidan. You could make a fortune off of him if you are patient."

"How much have you made?"

The number made her jaw drop. "How is that possible? Wouldn't he catch on?"

"He doesn't stop to consider it."

And she guessed that there was no way he would say anything and lose that source of income. "But where does he get that kind of money?"

Kakuzu scoffed, and removed twenty one dollar bills from the box without letting the total contents become visible. "He likes to arm wrestle at bars."

Ugh. Kind of weird.

He gently handed the cash to Sakura. Self conscious, she folded the bills and placed them in her pocket. After that she sat back on the floor and steadily surveyed Kakuzu, who slid the box back into its home.

He didn't seem to have anything else to say, but immediately appeared uncomfortable again, eyes diverted. Sakura remembered that although Itachi and Kisame had been mentioned to her before, she knew very little about the other two. And she had no idea why Kakuzu would suddenly be so reticent when just now he'd been so vocal when talking about finance.

"Um," Sakura began, "are you… okay?"

She couldn't help feeling weird asking such a question of one of the Akatsuki. Kakuzu startled a bit, eyebrows shooting up before furrowing again. He stood and shrugged.

"Perhaps?" He said, and it came out like a question. "I don't… Well, this is… an odd situation for me."

"Not just you." She said dryly.

Then his eye flickered downward not once but twice. It took a moment for her to realize what that meant and she glared.

"What the hell are you staring at? Huh?" He shrugged again.

Sakura stood up and her hands unconsciously rested on her hips. "Here I am, thinking that maybe you have some kind of actual communication problem or that there's something wrong and- ugh! Is that really what you were doing the entire time? Huh?"

"To be fair," He said with a twisted mouth, "it's hard not to. Until I can actually-"

Sakura displayed the beautiful power of interruption she had observed in the four alphas. "You don't want to finish that thought. Or I swear to god-"

"Kakuzu, what the fuck-"

Hidan stopped at the door in confusion - something that seemed to be becoming a habit of his. He looked back and forth between an enraged omega and the defensive alpha.

"What's going on?" He asked suspiciously, violet eyes narrowed dangerously. "Kakuzu, are you bothering her?"

"Since when did you-"

"No, I was just leaving." Sakura sniffed. "Some people can actually look me in the face when they talk to me."

"What?" Hidan demanded.

Kakuzu's held his palms out, placating. "Don't take it so poorly, it just means-"

"What?" Hidan asked louder and angrier - appearing to take some sort of grave offense. "Goddammit Kakuzu, we haven't even had her for a week and you're already being a fucktard! I swear I will kick you-"

"Yeah, right."

It was the slightest thing that set it off - Kakuzu's upper lip curled and his teeth gleamed. A furious growl, angrier than any other Sakura had heard(and she'd heard many) ripped its way out of the silver haired alpha's throat and he leapt at the other man. Sakura jumped out of the way so she would not be caught in the middle.

It was… Well, this looked nothing like an actual fight between shinobi. It was more like two animals clawing and trying to tear each other apart with their teeth. She hadn't seen a scuffle like this before. Those between Naruto and Sasuke hadn't even come close to this in sheer killing intent and now seemed more like baby alphas testing each other's limits.

And as exasperating as this somehow was, it set Sakura very much on edge. She could've sworn that she actually saw Hidan take a chunk out of Kakuzu's arm and screwed up her face in disgust.

"C'mon!" She yelled at them. "Take a break! You don't have to fight over such a stupid-"

"I'm defending your honor!" Hidan screamed back from where he had managed to get himself pinned under Kakuzu.

"I'll defend my own goddamned honor!"

This made her slightly nervous. Kakuzu, likely feeling vengeful over the missing part of his flesh, was on top of Hidan and looked like he wanted to take it out of the man's neck - and he was taller and wider than the other man so it certainly looked like he was capable of it.

Feeling curiously vindictive, Sakura's fingers twitched towards her elbow. Her jaw clenched, shoulders set. Well, if the two of them wanted to roll around like a pair of damned animals in heat then she would embarrass them accordingly! She curiously stroked over Kakuzu's mark on the inside of her elbow and the effect was instantaneous.

From above Hidan he stiffened, face going lax. At a more firm press against the mark his body gave out and slumped across the other man. Noises came from him as Sakura tortured him through her own skin.

"Kiss and make up you jackasses!" Sakura crowed.

Cheeks going pink, Hidan threw Kakuzu off of him as though burned. "No fucking way."

Sakura crossed her arms and narrowed her gaze. "Well you know that's what it looks like when you do that."

"How the fuck did you do that?"

Sakura said teasingly, "You're not the only ones with some pressure point."

"That looked-" Hidan began just as Kakuzu was up and lurching towards her.

Sakura's eyes widened. She had forgotten what it was Itachi had said… That it… didn't help his… self control… Oh shit!

The alpha's body hit hers hard in a nigh-tackle as he leaned down and hefted her body up - her back hit his bed as he dropped her and laid himself over her. Behind him, Hidan's earlier rage had evaporated completely into glee.

Pressed under Kakuzu, Sakura's chest heaved with surprise at the unexpected tackle - her hair was splayed around her, brushing her shoulders, and she wriggled away from the strong thigh nestled not-so-innocently between hers. The alpha wanted to taste so badly, eyes clouded and vision foggy from the lightning-strong pleasure that had just struck him, that he leaned in and pressed his mouth hungrily to her neck.

"W-what the-?" Sakura gasped. She supposed this could be considered her fault, but any other misgivings were quickly being sucked away by Kakuzu's lips on her pulse.

"My turn!" Hidan demanded, pushing beside her without totally dislodging Kakuzu. "It was totally fuckin weird but it looked way awesome-"

As Kakuzu's mouth closed over hers and their lips slid pleasantly over each other Hidan's callused fingers slid down her leg and hooked beneath her knee, effectively halting her attempts to alter her position. The pads of his fingers sought the mark and he huffed in disappointment when nothing happened.

"It's not working." He whined.

Kakuzu ignored him, his mouth working against Sakura's. His hands gripped her by the curve of her waist, pulling her up to him more securely, her breasts crushed against his unyielding chest. His thumbs rubbed into her, separated from skin only by the shirt she wore, and inched upwards.

Then Hidan, showing uncharacteristic genius, grasped Sakura's hand and his hand pushed hers into touching the mark on her thigh. He seemingly dissolved into a puddle beside her, pressing his deeply inhaling nose against her shoulder as he urged her fingers into massaging that wonderful place. His tongue licked a stripe up the side of her neck.

Sakura couldn't tell if this was bliss, or simply too much sensation. Her body felt tingly and she might say warm if it were not for the actual warmth above her, pulling all of her achy and needy skin into its embrace. Then there was the face nuzzling her shoulder, the nearly pornographic moans, and the devastating knowledge that Hidan was _actually getting off on this._

Given the very different assaults on the respective nervous systems of the two alphas, Hidan soon stiffened against her, slumping into Sakura's side with a pleased groan. Kakuzu's palms slid over her breasts reverently as his tongue slipped between her swollen lips, testing and savoring her flavor.

Sakura sighed into Kakuzu's mouth, arching against him. It seemed like her omega side was working very, very hard right now to push her closer to her alphas, making every touch feel blessedly perfect on her body - inside her, a little happy voice was singing and dancing.

The gentle squeeze of Kakuzu's hands was one thing but when Sakura felt something hard press against her hip the spell was broken and she twitched. She wrenched her mouth away and gasped for air.

"No way." She panted, emerald eyes slitted over flushed cheekbones. "Thats-"

She cut off with a small noise as Kakuzu's mouth simply returned to her collarbone. Hidan's lips smoothed over her shoulder, followed by a gentle lick. For once, the silver haired alpha was silent - he appeared to be lost to a post-orgasmic high, expression relaxed and dazed and his eyes unfocused.

Sakura cruelly grazed her teeth against the inside of her elbow.

Kakuzu's enjoyment was cut short at that and his full weight on Sakura as his muscles gave out forced the air from her lungs. Both of the alphas smelled - if she was being totally honest - incredible right now, satisfied and full of all of the softness their scents usually lacked. It was almost enough to cause her to demand something highly inappropriate, to be frank, but then the corners of Hidan's mouth twitched.

He purred, "Your turn now?"

Sakura's face burned. She shoved Kakuzu off of her and sprinted out of the room.


	7. Chapter 7 - Naruto Interlude

Sorry this one's a little short, guys! I'm trying to slog through some stuff that has to happen plot-wise so that we can get to the good stuff. Chapters will get longer soon! As always, I appreciate all of your kind comments so much! I had no idea that people would enjoy this story so much :)

* * *

When Naruto found Sasuke it was not quite as he'd imagined it would be. For one, all of the youthful and mysterious swagger that the Uchiha had been known for had developed into an obnoxious, full-blown arrogance that made him ache to throw punches.

And secondly, Sakura was not standing beside him. He'd found the missing teammate… and lost another. He couldn't believe that it was taking this long to find her - if anyone wanted to be found, it would have to be Sakura, and Granny had sent out Kakashi of all people. This was ridiculous!

So forgive him if he wasn't quite so frozen as he stared at the man standing at the top of the cliff. Sasuke blinked lazily, reveling in the sudden silence, then-

"Hey BASTARD, how's it going? Enjoy your little vacation?"

Sasuke's surprise manifested itself as a long and slow sigh. He'd never really been one for gaping and shrieking, anyways.

"It was hardly a vacation." He drawled. "Aren't you the one with the tan? Spend all your time watching your sensei ogle girls at the beach?"

The two shared a glare. More astonishing silence and Naruto wasn't even yelling yet, but his eyes were bright in rage and his fists clenched hard enough to pale his knuckles white.

Sasuke broke it. "Where is Sakura? I almost expected to see her first."

"She's-away." He gritted. "Not that you would care."

"Hn. I guess I don't."

Naruto's voice finally rose. "Well you should! You were such an asshole to her, to all of us!"

And suddenly the air between them filled with the same horrific tension that had been present those years ago, before Naruto had left Konoha to train with Jiraiya. How dare Sasuke say such things? How dare he throw their friendship right back into their faces and take more care with revenge for a long-gone past than those precious people right in front of him? And with Sakura gone… there was no way Naruto could roll over and allow the bastard to be so callous when anything could be happening to her right now.

A strange new coldness washed over Naruto. Sakura wasn't here… He-he couldn't act like a child. He had to be an adult now, which meant that pummeling bastards into the dirt had to wait until he had found her. After all, the sooner he dealt with Sasuke the sooner he could help search for her.

Simply put, he had no time to deal with this cruel man his best friend had grown into. This was something for Team Seven to do together.

"I don't need to explain myself to you." Sasuke said. His brows knitted themselves together.

Naruto removed the scroll and hurled it at the dark-haired man, who easily caught it in a slender hand. He sighed again - and god, his scent's fluctuations managed to be so offensive that Naruto wanted to stuff his nose with tissues to block it out. Bad enough that he could see and hear the proof of Sasuke's infuriating apathy, but to smell it was even worse.

"It's sealed." Sasuke observed. "And from the Hokage. Where did she get my blood?"

"Not blood. Your scent was still there."

The other alpha clearly did not like the thought of that, if his flat stare was any indication of it. "She has no real business with me. I've never given the impression that I wanted further contact with Konoha. I'm guessing you know what it says?"

"Sasuke, just open the damned scroll." Naruto glared. No, he didn't know what it said, but he very desperately wanted to - and the anticipation was killing him! Anything important enough for Tsunade to say to Sasuke had to be a huge deal.

Agonizingly slowly, Sasuke slid the seal of the scroll over his wrist - right where there was a scent gland strong enough to release the seal. He smirked at Naruto's barely-concealed impatience, dragging the revelation out as long as he could. Naruto could have thrown something at him right then.

Sasuke unfurled it and began reading, face smooth and unreasonably pretty for an alpha. Naruto could tell the moment he was taken aback because, for once, the man's face actually went slack for a moment.

"H-h"

 _Lemme guess, 'hn'?_ Naruto offered snidely in his head.

Sasuke reread the scroll again, very clearly shocked by its contents and hardly believing them.

Suddenly his gaze snapped up to Naruto's and his glare was so fierce and full of wrath that it was his turn to pause. "Did you know? Did you know?"

"What are you talking about?" He demanded.

Sasuke dropped down from the cliff, landing silently on his feet. He approached Naruto fervently. "About Sakura? Did you?"

Naruto didn't back down, not even when the bastard was in his face and they stood chest-to-chest. "Her disappearance? Yeah. Now don't you feel bad for being such a dick?"

Sasuke hissed, "Did you know she was an omega, you idiot?"

His eyes bugged out of his head. What… What the fuck? What the everlasting fuck? An omega? There was no way that was true! Sakura had always been so-so… strong and capable, not to mention totally unwilling to take anyone's shit(at least, once the bastard had left). But… maybe that explained why he had always liked her so much? There had always been a definite pull that he couldn't describe - although he'd imagined it was because he liked watching her fly into rages and pummel things. It was possible…

His chest ached. Why hadn't she told him? That wasn't the kind of thing someone could keep secret without repercussions! Why would she have wanted to keep their team in the dark on something so important? They were best friends, dammit!

And… oh god, she had been rejected by an alpha for years! Sasuke had been so cruel to her and so blind and he'd tried to stop him, but who knew how that had felt for an omega?

Sasuke looked like he was about halfway through a heart attack, his face drawn up so tight that it might crack and shatter - and served him right! His eyes had widened, horrified at the realization of what he'd done. What he could have had. What he had thrown back into the face of someone that he might have pursued relentlessly had things been different.

He gripped Naruto's shoulder crushingly, nails digging in. "Naruto, who is looking for her? Who?"

"Kakashi-sensei." He breathed out, tense.

"This is very bad. So bad."

"You think I don't realize?" The blond haired alpha snarled.

"No!" Sasuke snapped. "The Hokage said that the Akatsuki are suspected of her disappearance, you idiot! At least half of them are alphas!"

"No. Oh, no…"

Goddammit.


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura woke up very comfortably, pressed against a gigantic body that was as hard as steel. She sighed and unthinkingly pressed closer, burying her face into the pleasant warmth surrounding her. It snuffled and flexed against her, which alerted her to the fact that it was a _person_ in her bed.

She inhaled… It was Kisame. And, upon cracking her eyes open the slightest, she realized that her bedroom was totally dark and only the barest of lights could be discerned dancing along the furniture. She tilted her head up. Kisame was still asleep, unaware that she'd woken. Hmm… He must've sneaked into her bed after she'd fallen asleep, still very embarrassed about the Kakuzu and Hidan fiasco in the former's bedroom.

It had been… eye opening, to say the least. Over the course of her limited experience with males, Sakura had never been in the presence of one while he-well-ahem… She could barely even think it to herself. Even the memory of Kakuzu pressing into her hip was enough to set her face ablaze. And while she knew what it was like to enjoy affection - the casual hug, or a cuddle from a pet - the touch of a fully grown man was a different thing altogether, something that shot lightning from her torso down into her gut. It felt too… intimate? Vulnerable? Or perhaps she liked it too much and was used to denying herself the things that she wanted?

Whatever it was, the men around her held a weapon that was far more dangerous to her than any jutsu, making Sakura feel very out of her element and - dare she say it - desiring of what these men had to offer. Add to that her own logical misgivings towards growing too close to these alphas and it made for a very bizarre knot of sexual tension in the pit of her stomach.

How did one deal with a fully grown man? They wanted _so_ much, and the things that their eyes demanded from her were both thrilling and terrifying. What if she tried and they laughed at her? She still felt very much like a little girl, almost like something that alphas of their ages should still be play-wrestling with, not tussling in a _bedroom_. If she so much as placed a hand on them she expected it to break off into a cloud of ash.

Well… She had an unconscious one right in front of her now… And it wasn't like he wouldn't want her to touch him _anyways_ , so…

With wide and hesitant eyes Sakura placed a hand over Kisame's heart, pausing to feel its drumbeat. It was pleasant, so much that she leaned forwards and pressed her ear against it to listen, her eyes drooping in relaxation. She breathed in his scent, all sea breeze over something undeniably _male_ that made her hands smooth up over his shoulders, assessing and enjoying their width.

She stretched against him in the darkness and ran gentle fingertips down Kisame's bare bicep, gingerly exploring the skin and muscle. It was nothing like checking a patient at the hospital, all cold and businesslike. This was warm and _personal_. This was a body that she _wanted_ to touch.

Sakura's nose trailed along his neck and the steady, drowsy pulse, giving in to instinct for just a moment and allowing herself to fully scent this alpha as he had her, letting herself appraise him as a potential mate. There was no harm, no danger of giving out too much invitation in this moment. She could take her time and use all of her instinct to simply _enjoy_ the firm sensation of his body under her hands. It wasn't that of a child to be sure, totally matured and in its prime - ready to kill, defend territory, _to fuck_ -

Like those hypnagogic, stream of consciousness thoughts, Sakura neither followed nor attacked that train of thought. It would do her no good right now, only fluster or break up the beautiful feeling of letting herself be an omega for a moment. She could be embarrassed later. In fact, she was sure that she would.

Her instincts were difficult to interpret around her alphas, Sakura thought. On the one hand they were utterly, destructively dangerous and made her body want to bolt away in any and all directions. But on the other, she wanted to poke and prod and _test_ them, to _make_ them pounce in the same way that she feared they would.

Would this get any easier?

That thought also slipped away into the back of her mind as she ran her lips against Kisame's adam's apple, delighting in the way he unconsciously pushed into the touch instead of tensing - clearly she was not an enemy, not considered a threat to him on any level. And while she knew that she could certainly do him a great deal of physical damage, she didn't think that was what his subconscious was thinking at all. Rather, he must consider her something close, something that was _supposed_ to be draped across his body while it was at its most vulnerable.

And wasn't that telling of his true intentions?

When Sakura's mouth opened against his skin and a curious tongue emerged to taste, Kisame's arm surrounded her and tugged her closer, her head resting comfortably in the crook of his neck. She abandoned her efforts and relaxed against him.

If anyone were to say that she was purring, she would deny it.

It was later the next day when Sakura was chatting casually with the mass-murdering, s-rank criminals Itachi and Kisame that Sakura had her first real scare since arriving.

The front door of the building led down a long hallway, through a door and into the kitchen. Between the counters and appliances stood a table, sturdy enough to handle large men leaning and thumping fists on it every day. A window allowed golden evening light into the room.

She sipped at a cup of green tea, idly listening in as Kisame shared his bar-related exploits with Itachi, who had an uncanny ability to "hm" or "ah" in all the right moments. She swore he could've done it in his sleep.

"And then the guy's hand started to bruise up all blue-"

"Ah."

"-and then his girlfriend actually picked up one of the kegs-"

"Hm…"

"-and after that his buddies all took off and he just dropped the money right there."

"Ah… I see."

As Kisame finished the tale with a grin and leaned back with a satisfied stretch, Sakura caught Itachi's glance. His face was smooth, impassive, but the corner of his mouth barely twitched. She covered a laugh by coughing.

A faint change in the room's scent captured Sakura's attention. Her brows lowered. It was like… earth… and something altogether unpleasant, like sour wine, and she immediately hated it. Two people approaching, but who?

Her eyes flickered uneasily between the two alphas beside her, who seemed unperturbed, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling ruffled. It didn't matter that Itachi and Kisame weren't reacting, two unfamiliar alphas were coming closer by the second and Sakura wanted at least one of them gone already - dear god, _who_ could possibly smell so horrible to her?

Sakura stood as though to refill her teacup just in time to have Kisame between her and the door when it opened, and two excitable alphas burst into the room with scents going haywire.

First came- holy shit - the blond haired man responsible for kidnapping the Kazekage! And while Sakura had her own misgivings about being _anywhere_ near him the terrible scent was emanating from the man behind him.

He wore a bright orange mask. His voice was high pitched and childish. He skipped like a young girl. But Sakura wanted him _out_. She didn't know why, but just being near him, being able to smell him made everything omega in her want to be away from him. And for this to be in her mind when the Kazekage's kidnapper and Itachi Uchiha were in the room, the latter giving her no unease, meant that something was terribly off about him.

They both froze on the opposite side of the room. Bright cerulean eyes burned into her from under a blond fringe.

"It's true." He breathed. "I thought it had to be some _stupid_ lie, but dammit Uchiha, your little termite was beside himself."

"You saw Sasuke?" Itachi asked offhandedly, as though it didn't matter to him in the least.

Sakura stiffened as the scents of the new alphas reached across the room towards her as though they could grasp a hold of her, forcing her to experience them.

The blond man - What was his name again? She could've sworn she knew it… - let out a short burst of laugh. "The brat tried to kill me, demanding to know what horrors I inflicted on his teammate."

"You walked away from a fight? You?" Kisame chuckled. "Unusual."

"Well, I could hardly waste the time when I thought there was a damn omega here." The blond said seductively, aiming the sentence at Sakura.

To his utter bafflement, her emerald glare was rooted to the other man. She didn't even spare him a glance.

"That is Deidara and Tobi." Kisame said.

He appeared unaware of her growing distress, but Itachi was now watching her carefully. She could only imagine how worried she smelled right now.

Sakura spoke up. "Why are they here?"

"I live here, yeah!"

Sakura ignored him. "Itachi, I know you don't expect me to allow them to bite me."

Well, the one in particular. He was still bouncing in place as though he hadn't noticed her ire. Itachi stood and approached her. His eyes implored her not to feel at odds, but hers were averted. He stopped right before her and murmured to her, too quietly to be overheard.

"I _won't_ share. I know that I won't. But without all of your bonds fully consummated, your biology still allows you to add more alphas. And until then, until you have that nuclear group solidified, others will _still_ pursue you."

She paled, but he continued. "You don't have to _let_ anyone bite you now. But for this time, you will be stuck evading them. I can help you, but I am not always here."

Sakura said loudly, eyes having never left Tobi, " _He_ will not bite me."

Kisame looked confused. "Huh? Do you know him or something?"

"No, and I don't want to. Ever."

Deidara guffawed at the alpha's expense as Tobi bounded towards Sakura. She angled herself to keep Itachi between them, loathe to come into any sort of contact with him.

"Aw, but omega-chan, Tobi is a good boy and a good alpha! You will want him! He can cook and will rub your feet all the time!"

"No!" She barked, surprising the others with its intensity. "You will not!"

"Really?" He whined, leaning around an icy still Itachi, who stared at Sakura.

"Really! Stay away from me!"

"Can you make me?" He asked, and he suddenly wasn't cute anymore. It was alpha and something that the others were clearly unused to, judging by their expressions of bemusement. Itachi himself was not so interested, still seemingly counting every eyelash on Sakura's face.

Sakura was not amused at all. In face, this was a nightmare, and nothing had ever been less funny. She clenched her hands into fists. "I swear to god, you had better stay away from me. I will punch a hole through your face and if you ever try to get your rotten teeth on me, no one will find your corpse."

In less than a blink, Tobi was around Itachi and stalking towards her, every muscle screaming of danger, and she was backing away. And although she couldn't see his face, Sakura could hear that this alpha was _growling_ at her, and it was the kind of growl that indicated a real problem.

Sakura had never been growled at in her entire life. Perhaps it was because the subconscious still recognizes an omega, but it was something that she had never experienced and never wanted to again. It hit her like a slap, burning its painful way through her nervous system to her brain and heart, choking her up and seizing every last one of her muscles in a full body bind.

Alpha's didn't growl at omegas. It just wasn't done. Instinct urged them to smell, to touch, to mate - but never to actually attack, and the fact that this one was doing so proved that there was something genuinely wrong with this man.

He stood right in front of her almost close enough to touch and at the rumbling her shoulders instinctively drew up, her chin lowering as though to avoid looking at him, or even to protect her neck.

At the noise Kisame instantly shot up from his chair and shoved his way between them, his bulk totally blocking out her view of Tobi. He was drawn up to full height and more enraged than she had ever seen him before, and the room smelled like a full-out war zone.

"You will never," Kisame snarled, "and I mean _never_ , growl at her."

Sakura couldn't see Itachi but she could see Deidara, whose face was frozen in offense at an alpha who dared to growl at an omega in front of her mates.

Tobi didn't say a word, but the growling had stopped.

Itachi slowly came to her side again and he had never looked scarier. His face could have been carved from stone, an unrelentingly frowning mouth totally frozen. But his eyes… they had glinted red, as though only the force of his will were currently keeping his sharingan leashed. He was pissed, and simply stood beside her, their shoulders touching.

And god help her, Sakura dashed from the room, instincts yelling for her to get out of there. But she didn't want to go to her room - too open, too exposed, where someone could find her too easily - so she did the next best thing.

She crawled into Kisame's closet, stealing his blanket and wrapping herself into a tight fortress of fabric. She said no word some time later, when Itachi squeezed in beside her, but offered no protest when he managed to determinedly wriggle into her cocoon. He didn't speak, but was just there, pressed in tightly beside her in a safe, dark place, and every now and then shifted against her - almost as a reminder of his presence.

Sakura ended up falling asleep there, swaddled into a blanket and wrapped around her alpha.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey guys! I know it's been a while since the last update, forgive me please! It might take me a bit to get back into the groove and find the voice for this story again, so bear with me. Thank you so much for reading!

* * *

When Sakura woke up one morning feeling more lethargic than usual, she thought she might punch a hole through the wall just on principle. She was blessedly alone as she had hidden herself in Itachi's closet the night before, hoping his scent would both cover hers and deter the two new alphas in the building from seeking her out. She supposed that it had worked, thankfully, and she was safe for the time being.

Unfortunately, her physical state was about to be less than stellar. She cursed her biology upon noticing her slow physical responses.

A few times a year a mated Omega would typically enter a heat period, coming with all of the bells and whistles one might expect. That wasn't ideal in the least, but Sakura wasn't fully mated. Instead of a fully blown heat, an unmated or partially mated Omega would experience a time of severe sluggishness and low physical capability. It was nature's way of trying to find them mates by making them easier to catch.

This was made especially shitty because there was one particular alpha in the vicinity that Sakura would do anything to avoid being bitten by, and she now would have a much more difficult time of it.

She stretched in the cramped, dark space and rested her head against the wall. Only days ago and her main concern would have been avoiding her own alphas, but after the shocking encounter with the masked one, she had realized that her mates were not that bad. Sure they were awful criminals but they were fairly normal alphas - nosy, argumentative and horny - but she was growing more and more confident that they would never lay an aggressive hand on her. The other one? If his teeth were on her she would expect an attack rather than a mating bite.

Oh, when would her life get easier?

Swallowing her pride and resolving to ask for help, Sakura fought her way through racks of Itachi's clothing and into his neat bedroom.

Itachi blinked at her from his bed, where he'd been reading a book. She refused to believe he didn't know she'd slept in his closet, though, as he had one of the strongest noses she'd seen in an alpha. Sakura paused at the closet door, staring at him with a red face.

 **Hot Damn!** Inner Sakura whistled. She shushed herself internally.

"I-um. I'll just-"

She cursed herself. He was only shirtless! She'd seen countless bodies in her time at the hospital-

 **But none of them were Uchiha Itachi, sex on legs-**

She was absolutely not following that train of thought! She had more important things to worry about! She shut her mouth with a clack as he lifted his blanket and glanced at the place beside him pointedly. Sakura hesitated.

Well… It would surely be warm, at least?

Pretending it wasn't her idea and that she wasn't pleased in the slightest, Sakura slowly walked over and slid in beside him. Itachi sighed at the distance she left between them and reached over, looping an arm around her waist and dragging her closer. His face pressed against her neck and he breathed in her scent. She rolled her eyes and let him drape her across him, his hands at her hips. Although that didn't stop her from smacking them when they squeezed her.

"Itachi." She said warningly into his ear.

"Allow me this." He said, lips following the paths traced by his nose. "You know it's instinct, Sakura."

Of course, checking that nothing was wrong with her was certainly an alpha instinct, Sakura knew, but it hadn't been that long since she'd seen Itachi - and the hands on her lower back, much too low, were not necessary. She went to pull away but his grip was iron on her body and no amount of wriggling around or pushing on his shoulders was able to break her free(although it didn't help that his bare shoulders were startlingly firm beneath her hands). A small whine clambered out of her throat and he pulled away far enough to look at her.

Dark eyes bored into hers curiously. "Usually you can get free. Is something wrong?"

"Yes," She said, frowning desperately. "I… Well, I need help. Very badly."

His eyebrows rose. "What is it?"

She swallowed. Honestly, she had no idea how he would respond, but she didn't feel like she could turn to any of the others - whose reactions might be even more extreme.

"Well…" She started, eyes downcast. "You know that Omegas have heats-"

Itachi sat up so fast their noses nearly collided and she fell beside him.

"What was that?" He demanded, and she could swear his eyes were a bit wild. "Are you starting a heat? When?"

And he pulled her flush against him, smelling her neck even more fervently. His hands were holding her still as he assessed her.

"Itachi-"

"Sakura, we aren't prepared for that. There's so much left to-"

"Itachi!" Sakura insisted, "I am not starting a heat. Calm. Down."

After a pause he seemed to slump. "Oh."

A few seconds passed and he seemed to realize how he had overreacted. His mouth twisted as he frowned at himself. A lesser man might have blushed. Sakura could almost have sworn that the slight glimmer in his eye had been excitement, that he'd wanted her to go into a heat. Well.

"It's not a heat. It's just similar to one."

And there was that tiny glint again, nearly impossible to see as he feigned calmness.

"Oh?" He asked, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that undertone.

"Itachi," She said, "you know that only fully mated Omegas have heats. That wouldn't have been possible."

He shrugged, and she had the impression of a pouting child.

"Anyways, as I was saying before you interrupted me… Instead of heats, there's sort of a… I guess a weak period."

Itachi was suddenly very concerned. "A time of weakness? Is this about to begin for you?"

"Yes." She answered, "I won't… Well, I won't really be able to look after myself very well. That's why I need your help. I will not have that alpha bite me. Absolutely not. And for the next few days I don't know that I'll be in any condition to defend myself."

Itachi frowned deeply for a few moments, eyes on her face. "Sakura, you know the only way to really prevent another bite is to-"

"I know that." She interrupted.

Was… was it worth it? Sakura couldn't say at this point that she really didn't want to have sex. She refused to live the rest of her life a virgin, and she had no real benchmarks to make her wait any longer. That being said - was it too soon? And, being so in out of her depth with so many alphas, there was no way she would let any of the others be there when it happened.

Then who? Who did she trust enough?

"What are you thinking about?" Itachi asked. The blanket was pooled around his hips, pants dipping tantalizingly low. He leaned closer.

Sakura's mouth was dry and she thought her heart might have stopped. "What if I wanted to erase the possibility of more alphas?"

The room went silent. One could have heard a pin drop in the sudden stillness. The powerful muscles in Itachi's shoulders had tensed and a tongue swept across his lips. There was no denying the look on his face at that moment. She could only imagine what it was like for him, his alpha instincts constantly screaming at him to finish the mating process, the way her scent must be affecting him.

"I would have been the first eventually." He offered, resting his chin on her shoulder. He rubbed his cheek against her neck, chest rumbling comfortingly. "If that is what you want to do, you would need to complete your bond with each of us. I could tell the others and-"

"And have everyone listen from the doorway?" She cried out in embarrassment. "No way!"

"No, we would be guarding the door." He pulled away to look at her, eyes already darkening in anticipation. "Protecting you from anyone who might want to stop you from bonding. Usually they would be in the room-"

"Absolutely not-"

"But we know how you would feel about that."

For now. The words went unsaid.

"There is no way we would allow the door to be unguarded." Itachi said. "It would be unacceptable. But I would agree that if you want to avoid more alphas, this is the best option."

It's also the option that gets you laid.

At her continued silence he ran a hand through her hair, nails pleasantly dragging along her scalp.

"Wouldn't it be nice to lower your guard for once?" He asked softly. "You would have at least a short while when you didn't need to censor your own instincts. Say whatever else about us, but your own alphas would only take care of you."

"Okay." She said quietly. She could hardly believe that she was doing this, but denying herself was so hard - especially in such an unfamiliar environment, with an insane alpha nearby who would dare to growl at an Omega.

Itachi rubbed his face against her once more, as though to reassure himself, and stood. He said, "I'll tell the others."

He paused at the doorway. "And Sakura?"

"What?" She asked, emerald eyes wide.

"I will be first." A tiny smile stretched his lips out. And then he was gone.

Could she really go through with this? With another thought of Itachi's lips on hers and Kisame's dangerous bulk, she realized that she could. It was no more "fraternizing with the enemy" than she had done thus far, and she knew deep down that Tsunade would encourage her to do anything necessary to avoid the growling alpha.

And who knew what Ino would encourage her to do?

Sakura took brief stock of her condition. She only noticed slow reflexes so far but soon her speed would diminish enough that even a civilian might be faster. Her strength would be comparable to a child's but worst of all, alpha scents would have an extreme affect on her. One whiff of a pleasant smelling alpha and she would be fighting the urge to roll over and bare her neck. Her every thought would be clouded by instinct.

Her mouth twisted into a nervous, angry grimace and she cursed. She thought she might be able to hear growls and fistfighting in the distance - likely Hidan trying to insist that he should be first. Like hell.

"Itachi-"

A head of bright blond hair strolled through the door, vaguely reminiscent of Naruto.

"Well." Deidara froze in the doorway, nostrils flaring as he recognized her scent. "I was wondering when I would run into you, yeah."

"Now you did, so you can leave." Sakura said rudely.

The blond alpha continued leaning against the door, smirking at her. His scent was overproducing, pushing against her with little finesse. From his flushed cheeks Sakura deduced that he clearly enjoyed either hers or Itachi's.

"So you stay with Itachi at night, yeah?" He asked brightly, blue eyes sparkling. "Are you banging already? There's no way you and Kisame are-"

Bristling at the commentary on Kisame, Sakura glared. "There's nothing wrong with Kisame!"

"If you don't mind giant blue people, yeah." He chuckled.

"I actually don't." She grit her teeth. "In fact, I think he's much sexier than you. He's much stronger than a scrawny alpha like you."

"Scrawny?" Deidara demanded. "I am not!"

"Compared to Kisame?" Sakura hissed. "How dare you insult him in from of me!"

That bastard had no idea what an angry, insulted Omega would do!

Deidara inhaled again - very crude, considering he hardly knew her at all.

He started laughing. "Oh this is hilarious! You're not even fully mated to those jerks!"

Inwardly apologizing to Itachi, Sakura hurled his bedside lamp across the room. "Not for long, asshat! In fact, I'll be boning the alpha you insulted, soon enough!"

"I doubt it." The blond chortled at her expense.

He froze at a very large, very blue presence right behind him. With the light of hell in his eyes, there stood Kisame, giant as always and very angry.

"What was that?" The alpha rasped, glaring.

"You think an Omega would actually find you desirable, yeah?" Deidara asked cruelly. "No way, yeah!"

With a flash Sakura was across the room and pushing herself against Kisame, pushing her way under his arm and staring hatefully at Deidara. She rubbed her cheek against his sculpted side, pointedly breathing in his scent just to make sure that asshole knew how much she liked it. Her tiny pale hand slid over his bulky chest, nearly groping him.

Sakura ignored the way her body was already becoming more sluggish. She rubbed herself against Kisame again, just because she could.

"While you're being an asshole, I will be in his bed." She cut verbally, enjoying the way Deidara had quickly grown surprised.

He had obviously not expected her to nearly climb Kisame. Well, that was his mistake. Anyone who discounted Kisame was clearly missing out.

"Kisame." She said, fully worked up but quickly losing strength. "Carry me."

He gladly did.


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry about the wait guys! I hope you enjoy!

And just as a warning... adult content ahead, my friends.

* * *

"He is such an asshole," Sakura said before they were even out of earshot. "I can't stand when other alphas say things like that to you. It makes absolutely no sense!"

Kisame's arms tightened around her. From where her head lay on his chest Sakura could feel a muscle tensing, then relaxing into a shrug.

"It makes some sense. I'm not normal looking, so I'm not really that much of a catch."

"You're thinking like an alpha. Or a beta." Sakura said, glaring at him. "All based on looks. Try thinking like an omega. My instincts are hardwired to be attracted to larger and stronger alphas - you are both of those. You smell amazing. And unlike some that I've met, your instincts aren't broken beyond repair."

The smile on Kisame's face made the corners of his eyes crinkle. Oh god, if he cried then Sakura would probably stab herself.

"I guess it's a good thing I'm with an omega." He said finally.

Outside her bedroom door they happened upon a glaring match between Kakuzu and Hidan. As soon as they smelled Sakura their attention snapped to where she rested against Kisame's chest.

To them she looked… Well, different. Kisame's bulk only emphasized how small she was in comparison, how long and slender her limbs were. Her pupils were just beginning to dilate and overtake the bright green in her eyes, softening them in a manner at odds with the frown line between her eyebrows. She appeared somewhere in the realm of frustration, nervousness, and anticipation - a combo that would need alleviation soon.

"Where's Itachi?" Sakura asked. Kakuzu gestured at her bedroom door.

"That's bullshit." Hidan said angrily, eyes flashing. "Why the fuck should he get to go first?"

"Because I said so." Sakura said.

"It's not fair." He whined.

Sakura pointedly ignored him as Kisame placed her on her feet. As they touched the floor her knees buckled slightly and she grasped the man's arm to prevent herself from falling. An arm wound its way around her waist to steady her. She neglected to notice the way her other alphas' eyebrows rose at the uncharacteristic weakness. After all, it was one thing for her knees to buckle, but another thing entirely for her to actually let someone carry her.

Sakura shrugged herself free of Kisame and fumbled with the door handle to her bedroom as the three men crowded around behind her. Their scents were becoming extremely distracting, filling her brain with sensation rather than thoughts.

What was she doing again? Door, right. She held her breath.

"I can do it myself," She snapped at the overly pale hand that reached around to open the door, presumably Hidan.

But that forced her to take another breath and she nearly threw up at the unwelcome sourness that invaded her lungs. That could only be one person in this building, someone she desperately wanted to avoid.

She tugged the door open, slamming it behind her with all the strength she had left, and leaned heavily against it. Was there a lock? Oh thank goodness, there was.

Her slight form buckled and slid down to the floor, her head lolling against the wood. She could still smell her alphas beyond, but behind her...

"Sakura!" Itachi said in alarm, rushing over to her.

He knelt and cupped her face with a long hand, bringing her to face him. The dazed expression on her face surprised him. He'd never seen her look so, well, omega-like. Sakura leaned towards him while inhaling deeply, eyelids dropping, and the change in her was mesmerizing.

Itachi held utterly still as her nose skimmed the line of his jaw like a softly bristled paintbrush, the smallest sound echoing in her chest. She had never been quite so obvious in scenting him before, and it sent a rush of heat into his stomach. He found his earlier excitement, which had been fraught with tension, relax into something closer to what he saw in her. Something languid, more animal-like than he would normally feel comfortable with.

"Are you alright?" He murmured.

"Mmhmm." Sakura wrapped milky arms loosely around his shoulders, bumping her forehead on his shoulder. "Itachi..."

The sound of his name on those lips, in that voice...

Though Itachi was not a short man, he had none of Kisame's bulk yet that didn't prevent him from easily lifting her in his arms and placing her body on the blue sheets of her bed with the utmost care. She immediately stretched out and rolled, skin bestowing smooth fabric with that wonderful, ripe smell. It had him unthinkingly placing a knee on the bed, then the other, before he moved in her direction with gleaming dark eyes.

Sakura froze. There was a flush high on her cheeks and down her neck that couldn't look more appetizing. He was very quickly losing the ability to use his precious brain and Itachi was torn between discomfort and relief in regard to that.

"Sakura?" He asked, the mattress dipping beneath his hands. "Do you still want-"

"Yes, yes!" She said automatically.

But the lack of clarity in her eyes still gave that small part of his mind cause to doubt and he reached over and pinched her nostrils with thumb and forefinger. After a moment or two she frowned and though it made little difference to her enlarged pupils, Sakura seemed to consider the situation.

She had already committed hadn't she? It was insane how much of an effect her nose really had right now and Sakura could hardly imagine what it would have been like during an actual heat. This moment, or at least what she expected of it, had been on Sakura's mind multiple times daily ever since that fateful day her alphas had bitten her in the forest. At first she had expected something vastly different She had expected to wake up surrounded by them, still in the forest, with the alphas overcome by instinct and ripping her clothes off. Instead? She had an alpha in front of her who hadn't forced himself on her, who had in fact treated her with care and surprising dignity. He had protected her from that masked man, had taken the time to listen to her potentially offensive misgivings, had returned with well-thought responses. He had asked nothing of her except her own continued existence.

Her existence. Something his little brother had seemed to begrudge her.

Sakura blinked quickly to prevent tears from appearing. Her chest ached and a fierce smile pulled at her lips. What better alpha could she ask for?

She nodded seriously at him. He released her nose and that beloved, rich smell reached down her nose and through her chest to ignite in her belly. The world narrowed, not a haze but a hyper awareness focused entirely on the scent in her nostrils and the alpha leaning towards her slowly with a smirk spreading across his handsome face.

"Perfect." Itachi said, face ever closer.

Then Sakura returned the same smug smile that was on his face and leaned away. He paused, waiting. Frowning.

"What?" He asked.

"What?" She parroted teasingly.

They stared at each other. What was going through the other person's mind? Well, Sakura had a certain feeling that she shouldn't make this too easy on the alpha.

She ducked away and stumbled across the room with a laugh when he followed. "Sakura, what are you doing?"

"Making you work." She responded cheekily. Gods, he smelled divine and he looked it, too. He had the kind of perfectly symmetrical faces that she supposed were an Uchiha thing. His expression was exciting her as well, but she wasn't too sure if that was an Uchiha thing.

"Really, Sakura?" Itachi asked in a low voice. "Is that really something you want to do?"

He approached slowly, matching her backward pace with every step. Sakura was slow right now, without her usual reflexes, but he humored her. Her back soon hit the wall and he kept stalking towards her. Sakura moved, trying to dart under his arm but it caught her around the waist and he tugged her close to him, back-to-front, and she couldn't help the squeak that left her mouth when she felt something stiff against her backside.

Her face burned.

"Sakura." He said, relishing the taste of her name. "Can you feel that?"

Well, um, yes. She was trying to ignore it – despite the circumstances – in the hopes that her embarrassment would be short-lived.

Her pink hair brushed his chin as she nodded, wide-eyed.

His hands squeezed her hips. "It's for you, you know."

She nodded again, more slowly this time. Itachi's lips touched the side of her neck in a tender kiss, running up to the point beneath her ear and applying more pressure. It sent a shock down her body and she slumped, relaxing back into him.

Itachi did it again. And again. He tormented that place until thought was well and truly gone from her head, including any form of embarrassment. Exactly what he wanted – charming as she wore it, embarrassment had no place between he and Sakura.

He spun her to face him, walking her backwards to the bed while fully supporting her weight in his arms. She went with him, eyes fixed on his mouth. She licked her lips. When her knees hit the mattress and she dropped to its softness he leaned in and pressed their lips together. Sakura pushed closer, closing her eyes and parting her lips when she felt his tongue on them. It dipped into her mouth, rubbing against hers, tracing twisting patterns. His hands pushed on her shoulders, urging her to move back onto the pillows and he followed, their kiss growing more heated.

His teeth gently dragged on her lower lip, hips pressing hers into the soft bed. Itachi's fingers slid down the sides of her arms and left goosebumps in their wake, traveling down her side and to the hem of her shirt. Her movements paused but he didn't lift the garment, merely resting his hands there, barely touching the skin beneath. Sakura reached up and tugged the tie from his hair, tangling into the softness and pulling. A sound bubbled in his throat at the sensation and he let his weight push her farther into the bed.

This was... Not so terrifying as Sakura had expected. He was taking his time and, to be honest, Sakura couldn't help her growing impatience. She pulled harder on his hair, delighting in the moan it dragged out as his mouth disengaged from hers and teeth nipped at her neck. Itachi's hands slid farther beneath her shirt and caressed her sides. They stopped just short of her breasts and Sakura's breath caught. Itachi laved his tongue over his mark on her neck. Fingers inched up higher. Finally his hands gently covered her breasts, thumbs teasing her nipples. Sakura's grip tightened in his hair. His mouth moved down her neck and when the collar of her shirt interfered he brought it up and over her head.

Sakura couldn't help the way she flushed at being exposed and her arms instinctively moved up to cover herself.

"No," Itachi held her wrists to the bed, uncovering her. "don't hide. Don't you dare."

A lungful of air made her chest rise and their eyes met as Itachi kissed her collarbone. He didn't release her wrists, but made his way downwards with open-mouthed kisses. They paused in the hollow between her breasts, a wickedly pleased look on his face. Sakura's focus was closing in again, the chocolate-dark smell emanating from the alpha on her making her feel drunk, head dropping down to the pillows.

She couldn't stop the breathy sound that escaped her lips when a tongue swept over her nipple, a large hand releasing her wrist to roll the other between the pads of fingers. His black hair tickled her feverishly warm skin, his mouth wet against her. He moved down yet again, tongue sneaking into her navel, and even farther down until he met the top of her shorts. Flushed, panting, Sakura looked at him in confusion. What was he doing all the way down there?

She didn't realize until another smirk graced his face that she'd said it aloud. "You'll find out."

Sakura gripped the sheets, heart jumping out of her chest and sound catching in her throat when he settled a shoulder under her knee and bit the inside of her thigh. Then that mouth kept moving... closer... and, _oh that's what he meant._

A cruel, teasing kiss was placed between her legs as she looked on with eyes the size of saucers and his deft fingers hooked under the waistband of her shorts. He had a look on his face that had anticipation buzzing in Sakura's ears.

And in the worst possible moment came yelling outside the door that sliced through her pleasant haze like a kunai knife. Add to that a distant and familiar shriek outside and an explosion that rocked the ground beneath them, and the alpha and omega on the bed shot up like twin thunderbolts.

Sakura swayed a bit with the momentum. "Shit."

Itachi looked at the door suspiciously. "Yes. Shit."

She couldn't help feeling utterly disappointed.


End file.
